THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


THE 


SPORTSMAN'S   LIBRARY; 


OK, 


HINTS  ON  THE  HUNTER— HUNTING— HOUNDS- 
SHOOTING— GAME— SPORTING— DOGS— 
FISHING— &c.  &c. 


BY 

JOHN    MILLS. 


AUTHOR  OF  "THE  OLD  ENGLISH  GENTLEMAN:'  - — "THE  STAGE  COACH J  OR  THE 
ROAD  OF  LIFE  :" "  THE  ENGLISH  FIRESIDE,  &C." 


PHILADELPHIA: 
LEA   &   BLAJNCHARD. 

1846. 


•5K- 


TO 


BRITISH   SPORTSMEN, 

THIS  WORK  IS  INSCRIBED. 

AND, 

THAT  THEIR  MANLY  RECREATIONS  MAY  EVER  REMAIN  AMONG  THE 

BEST  AND  PROUDEST  OF  THEIR  NATIONAL  DISTINCTIONS, 

IS  THE  SINCERE  AND  HEARTFELT  WISH  OF 

THEIR  HUMBLE  SERVANT, 
JOHN   MILLS. 

I*/  AUGUST,  1845. 


PREFACE. 


IT  can  scarcely  be  expected  that  one  man  should 
be  a  proficient  in  all  the  matters  treated  of  in  "  The 
Sportsman's  Library."  When  I  state,  therefore,  that 
in  some  portions  of  this  work,  I  have  received  as- 
sistance, I  do  no  more  than  might  reasonably  be 
anticipated. 

To  a  select  few  of  the  best,  and  the  best  known, 
of  living  sportsmen,  I  am  indebted  for  their  valuable 
opinions,  and  highly  important  assistance,  with  re- 
gard to  various  subjects,  as  to  which  I  may  not  have 
conceived  myself  to  be  proficient,  or  may  have  doubt- 
ed the  correctness  of  my  own  judgment. 

Desirous,  however,  as  I  am  to  acknowledge,  and 
pay  my  tribute  of  thanks  for,  the  assistance  received, 
I  am  equally  anxious  that  it  be  understood  that  this 
volume,  unlike  the  generality  of  sporting  works,  is 
not  a  compilation,  nor  composed  of  piratical  ex- 
tracts. Without  arrogating  to  myself  more  than  1 


Vi  PREFACE. 

feel  to  be  my  due,  I  believe  I  may  justly  claim  the 
merit  of  originality  in  all  except  a  very  few  of  the 
matters  treated  of.  Wherever  I  have  made  use  of 
the  information  of  others,  I  have  given  the  source 
whence  it  has  been  derived:  and  the  entire  borrow- 
ing does  not  amount  to  one-tenth  of  the  volume. 
Here  and  there,  may  be  found  a  diversity  between 
my  opinion  and  the  views  of  some  distinguished 
authors  who  have  preceded  me.  This  has  not  been 
occasioned  by  the  wish  to  vaunt  my  own  humble 
skill ;  but  by  the  results  of  my  experience  having, 
occasionally,  differed  from  theirs. 

From  the  time  my  memory  cannot  date,  "  field 
sports"  have  been  the  study,  the  thought,  the  occu- 
pation of  my  life.  I  have  sought  for  information, 
wherever  and  whenever  it  was  to  be  obtained ;  and 
never  yet  permitted  an  opportunity  to  pass,  of  test- 
ing, at  the  earliest  period,  the  rules  laid  down  for 
the  guidance  of  the  sportsman.  It  shall  therefore  be 
no  matter  of  surprise,  that  I  have  discovered  discre- 
pancies, in  several  instances,  between  previous  theo- 
ries and  positive  experience. 

On  those  important  subjects  to  the  Sportsman,— 
the  Hunter  and  his  condition,  Hounds,  Hunting, 
Shooting,  and  the  Breaking  and  management  of  1  ho 


PREFACE.  Vll 


Pointer,  &c.,  I  have  given  information  that  has 
not  before  appeared  in  print ;  information  founded 
on  my  own  practical  knowledge. 

In  treating  on  common  ills,  I  have  not  attempted 
to  enter  into  the  mysteries  of  the  veterinary  art ; 
thinking  it  better  to  refer  to  eminent  professors  for 
the  preventives  and  cures  for  those  diseases  to  which 
horses  and  dogs  are  subject. 

It  has  been  my  object  to  render  this  work  one  of 
instruction,  and  of  reference,  as  to  every  subject  con- 
nected with  our  national  sports.  In  the  belief  that 
the  task  has  been  completed  in  accordance  with  the 
design,  I  submit  the  work  with  all  humility,  to  the 
favourable  consideration  of  those  whom  I  am  proud 
to  call  my  fellow-sportsmen. 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK  I.-THE  HUNTER. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Page 

ON  THE  BREEDING  AND  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS,  19 

Mare ;  Choice  of,    -  20 

Stallion;  Choice  of,      -  21 

Colt ;  Diet  for,  ib. 

Weaning ;  Time  for,     -  22 

Weaning ;  Treatment  after,             -  ib. 

Broken  in;  When  to  be,  23 

Three  years  old ;  Treatment  when,  24 

Condition ;  Bringing  him  into,  -  25 
Grass ;  Coming  from, 

Work;  Preparations  for  bringing  him  into,       -         29 

Sweating;  Proper  mode  of,  30 

Medicine;  Alterative,  -  31 

Exercise  and  gallops,  33 

CHAPTER  IT. 

CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS — continued,  -  36 

Stable,  what  it  should  be,     -  37 
Horse;    Treatment   of,   previous    to    going   to 

hounds,  39 

Treatment  upon  return  home,  40 

Exhaustion  ;  Remedy  for,  42 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Page 

CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS—  continued,  -  46 

System  to  be  observed  when  hunting  ceases,  51 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS — continued,  -  56 

Feet;  Care  and  attention  to,  57 

Hoof;  of  what  form  it  should  be,  58 
Soundness;  never  to  be  regained  when  once  the 

feet  are  diseased,  ib. 

Foot-lameness ;  the  principal  causes  of,  59 

Evil  effects  of  bad  shoeing,  -  ib. 
Foot-lameness ;  no  preventing  it  in  very  many 

cases,  60 
Shoes ;  Different  kinds  of,  -  63 
Frog;  Fallacious  reasoning  of  Professor  Cole- 
man  regarding,  ib. 
Shoeing  ;  the  best  plan  for,  -  65 
Over-reach,  An  incident  of,  the  cause  and  effect,  66 


CHAPTER  V. 

CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS — continued,  -  68 

Treatment  of  feet  after  severe  work,  ib. 

Stopping  them,  -  69 

Pumiced  feet,  70 

Thrush  ;  The  preventive  and  remedy  for,  71 
Corns  ;  the  general  causes  of, 

Fever  in  the  feet;  what  produced  by,   -  73 

Sandcrack  ;  its  causes  and  remedies,  74 
Extract  from  Goodwin  on  the  diseases  of  the 

feet,  ....  75 


CONTENTS.  XI 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Page 

CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS — concluded,  76 

Common  injuries  to  the  legs  and  feet,  77 

Thorns  and  stubs,  ib. 
Sore  backs,  Palliatives  for,  washes,  and  detergent 

ointments,  -  78 
Sit-fast,  ^  -  79 
Disease  in  the  wind  of  horses,  The  various  de- 
grees of,  -  ib. 
Cold;  test  of  inflammatory  action,  -  ib. 
Roaring ;  an  irremediable  disease,  -  80 
Chronic  cough,  -  81 
Roaring,  The  cause  of,  in  a  colty  ib. 
Remedy  for  incipient  roaring,  82 
Blindness,  The  cause  of,  -  83 
Cataract,  -  -  ib. 
Examination  of  the  Eyes,  Great  care  should  be 

taken  in,       -  ib. 

Eye,  Unfavourable  Symptoms  of,     -  84 
Eye,  Principal  causes  of  Inflammation  in,  and 

means  to  be  adopted  in  Reducing,     -  85 

Curbs,  The  Cause  of,  86 

Curbs,  The  Remedies  for,  87 

Splents,  The  Treatment  for,              -  ib. 

Spavin,  88 

Bog-spavin,  ib. 

Thorough-pin,  -  89 

Windgalls,  -  ib. 

Strangles,  ib. 

Kidneys,  Inflammation  in,    -                           -  90 


CHAPTER  VII. 

AGE  OF  HORSES,       -  93 

Running- rein  Fraud,  ib. 

Extraordinary  instance  of  a  horse  lasting,  ib. 

Age  ;  how  to  be  discovered,  94 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

Age,  general  signs  of,  -  -  95 

Age,  not  to  be  ascertained  by  the  Mouth  after 

Five  years,  -    '         -  .  96 


BOOK  IL-ON  HUNTING  AND  HOUNDS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

HUNTING  AND  HOUNDS,                                    .  -        97 

Hunting,  The  past  and  the  present  style  of,  -  98 

Foxhound,  The  breeding  of,                   -  -       100 

Hounds,  The  points  of  Symmetry  in  ib. 

Hunting,  in  the  remotest  period  of  our  history,  -       101 

Talbot,  the  original  stock,   -  102 

Southern  hound,  -       103 

Foxhounds  of  the  present  day,  ib. 

Bitches  with  Litters,  Management  of     -  -       104 
Whelps ;  Common   diseases  to  which  they  are 

subject,   -  105 

Feeding  them,  -  ib. 

General  treatment,  -  ib. 

Hounds,  The  Size  and  Stamp  of,           -  -       106 


CHAPTER  IX. 

KENNEL,  AND  KENNEL  MANAGEMENT,  -                           107 

Kennel,  general  requisites  of,     -  ib. 

Kennel ;  the  Duke  of  Rutland's,  -                           108 

The  Duke  of  Richmond's,  -       109 

The  Duke  of  Bedford's,       -  ib. 

Kennel  Management,    -  110 

Feeding,     -  111 

The  Duke  of  Beaufort's  Kennel,  -       112 


CONTENTS.  Xlll 

Page 

Washing  Hounds,  -       113 

Discipline  in  the  Kennel,     -  -               ib. 

Diseases,  Preventives  of,  ib. 

Meal ;  Oat  and  Barley,  114 

Huntsman's  Duties  in  the  Kennel,  ib. 

Bleeding  Dogs,        -             -  -             -             115 


CHAPTER  X. 

DUTY  OF  A  MASTER  OF  FOXHOUNDS — THE  HUNTSMAN, 

AND  WHIPPER-IN,      -  -       117 

Master  of  Foxhounds;  his  Duties,  -  118 

Huntsman;  his  Duties  in  the  Field,       -  '  -       124 

Lifting  Hounds ;  unsportsmanlike  practice  of,  126 

Whipper-in,  Duties  of,  -                          -  -       131 


CHAPTER  XL- 
HINTS   UPON   RIDING    STRAIGHT   TO   HOUNDS. — THE 

STAGHOUND,  HARRIER,  AND  BEAGLE,  135 
Anecdote  concerning  the  Policy  of  getting  well 

away  with  Hounds,  -  -  ib. 
Position  to  be  Selected,  -  137 
Riding  timidly ;  danger  in,  -  138 
Riding  with  Judgment,  139 
Horse,  a  previous  Knowledge  of,  indispensable,  141 
Stag-hunting,  -  -  142 
Stag-hounds,  Devon  and  Somerset,  -  ib. 
Beagle,  the  best  for  Hare-hunting,  ib. 
Harriers,  -  -  143 
Beagles,  His  Royal  Highness  Prince  Albert's, 
Lord  Winterton's,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Honey- 
wood's,  -  -  -  -  145 


XIV  CONTENTS. 


BOOK  III.-SHOOTING, 

CHAPTER  XII. 

SHOOTING,    -                                                      -  146 

Detonating  System,  ib. 

London  Gunmakers,  -  -  147 

Westley  Richards'  guns,  -  ib, 
Lancaster's  Guns,  and  his  barrel-boring  Ma- 

chine, -  -  ib. 

Purdey's  Guns,  148 

Egg's  Guns,  -  -  ib. 

Blissett's  Guns,  ib. 
Messrs.  Moore,  John  Manton,  Nock,  Smith,  and 

Wilkinson's  Guns,  -  ib. 

Gun,  The  choice  of,  149 

Barrels,  Length  of,  ib. 

Locks,  The  springs  of,  151 

Trigger,  Regulation  of,  ib. 

Nipple,  152 

Cock,  or  Striker,  ib. 

Vent-hole,  -  -  153 

Ram-rod,  ib. 

Sight,  ib. 

Elevation,  -  155 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

FURTHER  OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE  CHOICE  OF  GUNS,  157 

Duck  Guns,  ib. 

Lancaster's  and  Long's  Side  Primer,    -  -       159 

Metal  ;  The  weight  of,  ib. 

Stanchion,  or  Punt  Gun,  ib. 

Hawker's  plan  of  firing  a  pair  of  barrels,     -  160 


CONTENTS.  XV 

Page 

Pigeon  Gunj-     -  -       162 
The  "  Grip," 

Lock,  of  what  it  consists,  164 
Mechanical  Names  for  the  remaining  principal 

parts  of  a  gun,     -  -             165 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

LOADING  A  GUN,  POWDER  AND  SHOT,  CARTRIDGES, 

WADDING,  &c.            -             -  -                     166 

Loading;  The  proper  method,  ib. 

Powder,  -       167 

Curtis  and  Harvey's,  -                           168 

Recoil ;  The  cause  of,  -            -  -            -         ib. 

Shot ;  The  selection  of,        -  -                           169 

Varying  the  size,           -             -  -             -         ib. 

Small  Shot ;  Advantages  of  using,  -                           170 

Charge  ;  The  quantity  to  depend  on  the  way 

in  which  the  gun  shoots,        -  -       171 

Shot ;  Patent  Drop,  173 

Shot;  Mould,  -             -  ib. 

Cartridge  ;  Eley's,  -  ib. 

Wadding;  Patent,  -       174 

Wadding;  Punched,  -             175 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CLEANING  A  GUN  ;  THE  BARRELS  AND  LOCKS. — SHOT- 
POUCH,   SHOT-BELT,   POWDER  FLASK,  NIPPLE 

PROBE,  &c.,   -                                                    -  176 

Cleaning,    -----  ib. 

Lock ;  Cleaning  of,      -                                         -  178 

taking  it  to  pieces,      -  179 

putting  it  together,                                        -  180 

Shot-belt,    -  182 

Pouch,  ib. 

Flasks ;  Egg's  and  Sykes's,  183 

Nipple  Probe,  -  ib. 


XVI  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Page 

SHOOTING,                                                                  -  185 

Lesson  the  first,  ib. 

Loading,     -  ib. 

Carrying  the  gun,                                                     -  186 

Aim  •  both  eyes  open  the  best  mode  of  getting  it,  188 

Level ;  The  necessity  of,     -  190 

Ways  of  obtaining  your  level,   -  ib. 

Slow  and  Quick  Shooting,  -  191 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

SHOOTING — continued,  -       196 

Hints  on  holding  the  gun,   -  ib. 

Double  Shots,  -  -       199 

Game ;  Beating  for,  201 

Conduct  upon  finding  and  killing,  -       202 

Long  shots,  205 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

PARTRIDGE,   GROUSE,  PHEASANT,   COCK,  AND   SNIPE 

SHOOTING,      -  -       207 

Partridges  ;  the  wildness  of,  ib. 

Poaching, 

Sporting  ;  the  time  for,  209 

Manner  to  be  observed  in  shooting,       -  211 

Birds  ;  the  occasional  shyness  of,     -  ib. 

Grouse  shooting, 
Pheasant  shooting,  - 
Cock  shooting, 
Snipe  shooting, 
Spaniels  ;  the  best  for,  - 
Dress  for  snipe-shooting,      -  218 


CONTENTS.  XV11 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Pago 

BLACK  GAME  SHOOTING  ON  THE  BORERS  OF  DEVON  AND 
SOMERSET. — WILD -FOWL  SHOOTING,  AND  DEER- 
STALKING, 

Black  game  shooting,  ib. 

Wild-fowl  shooting  on  shore  and  afloat,              -  220 

Time  ;  the  best  for,  223 

Tide  ;  the  ground  ebb  the  best,                             -  224 

Deer-stalking,  226 

Deer  ;  three  kinds  of,    -  ib. 

Vulnerable  points  in,  ib. 

Bullets  and  shot  to  be  used,       -                           -  227 


BOOK  IV.— GAME,  SPORTING  DOGS,  &c. 

CHAPTER  XX. 


A  LIST,  ALPHABETICALLY  ARRANGED,  OF  GAME,  WILD- 
FOWL, AND  BIRDS  GENERALLY  PURSUED  BY  THE 
SPORTSMAN  ;  THEIR  NAMES  AS  GIVEN  BY  BE- 
WICK, &C.;  WITH  A  FEW  HINTS  CONCERNING  THE 
MODE  OF  SHOOTING  THEM,  -  -  228 

Bittern  ;  The,          -  ib. 

Black  Cock ;  The,  229 

Brent  Goose,  ib. 

Bustard,            -  ib. 

Capercailzie,  ib. 

Coot,    -  -       230 

Curlew,      -  ib. 

Dotterel,  -       231 

Ducks,  ib. 

Eider  Duck,     -  ib. 

Gannet,  Gan,  Soland,  or  Solan  goose,  ib. 
2* 


XV111  CONTENTS. 

Page 

Garganey,  -  -  231 

Godwit,  ib. 

Golden-eye,  232 

Goose,  -  ...  ib. 

Grebes,  •?  •,  233 

Greenshanked  Godwit,  ib. 

Grouse,  -  ib. 

Guernsey  or  French  partridge,  -  ib. 

Hare  ;  two  kinds  of,  234 

Jacksnipe,  Judcock,  or  Jetcock,  ib. 

Knot,  ib. 

Landrail,  Daker  Hen,  or  Corncrake,  r  ib. 

Lapwing,  Bastard  Plover,  or  Pee  Wit,  235 

Mallard  ;  The,  ib. 

Morillon,  -  -  ib. 

Partridge,  ib. 

Pheasants,  -  ib. 

Pigeons,  ib. 
Pintail  Duck,  Sea  Pheasant,  Cracker,  or  Winter 

Duck,  -  ib. 

Plover,  ib. 

Quail,  236 

Rabbit,  -  -  ib. 
Redshank,  Red-legged  Horseman,  Pool  Snipe, 

or  Sand  Cock,  ib. 

Ringdove,  Cushat,  or  Wood  Pigeon,  ib. 
Ruff' and  Reeve,  -  237 

Scaup  Duck,  or  Spoonbill  Duck,  -  ib. 

Scoter,  Black  Duck,  or  Black  Diver,  -  ib. 

Sheldrake,  orBurrough  Duck,  ib. 

Snipe,  -  ib. 

Stag,  -  -  238 

Stockdove,  -  ib. 

Swan,  -  ib. 

Teal,  -  ib. 
Velvet  Duck,  Double  Scoter,  or  Great  Black 

Duck,  ib. 
Water  Crake,  Water  Rail,  Skitty,  or  Spotted 

Gallinule,     ...  ib. 


CONTENTS.  XIX 

Page 

Water  Hen,  or  Moor  Hen,  238 

Water  Rail,  Bilcock,  or  Velvet  Runner,  ib. 

Widgeon,   -  -             239 

Woodcock,       -  ib. 

Woodpigeon,  ib. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

POINTERS,  SETTERS,  SPANIELS,  AND  RETRIEVERS, — 
THEIR  BREEDING,  BREAKING,  AND  MANAGE- 
MENT, -  240 
Pointer ;  The,  -  ib. 
Fast  and  slow  Dogs  ;  Comparative  merits  of,  -  ib. 
Puppies  ;  Breeding,  241 
Dogs ;  Breaking,  -  242 
Deception  practised  in,  245 
Check-collars,  puzzles,  &c.  -  247 
Pointers  and  Setters  ;  what  they  should  be,  ib. 
Size,  Colour,  and  general  points,  -  248 
Symmetry,  ib. 
Breaking;  Manner  to  be  observed  in,  -  -  249 
Setter  ;  origin  of  the  stock,  252 
Breaking  of  the  Setter,  -  -  ib. 
Spaniels,  -  253 
Retrievers,  -  ib. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

How    TO  ADMINISTER  MEDICINE  TO   DOGS. — COMMON 

DISEASES,  PREVENTIVES,  AND  TREATMENT,  -       254 

How  to  administer  medicine  to  Dogs,  ib. 

Distemper ;  symptoms  and  cure,  -       255 

Worms,       -  257 

Swelled  Seats,  -       258 

Ears ;  Torn,                                          -  ib. 

Strains  ;  Cure  for,  ib. 

Swelling  from  bleeding,       -  ib. 

Joints ;  Bruises  in,  -         ib. 


XX  CONTENTS. 


Page 

Wounds ;  Green,  -       258 

Poisoned  ;  When  a  dog  is,  259 

Kidneys  ;  Distemper  in  the,      •  ib. 
When    a  dog  looks    heavy  and  sleepy  in  cold 

weather,  ib. 

Teeth  ;   Canker  in  the,  ib. 

Mange,  Cure  for,           -             -  ib. 

Hydrophobia  ;  Preventives  for,  ib. 

Wounds,  -       260 

Feet ;  Sore,             -  ib. 

Fleas,  -                          -  ib. 

Feet ;  Stripped,       -  ib. 

Ears ;  Canker  in,                                       -  261 

Complaints  ;  Bilious,  ib. 

Purges,  ib. 

Wounds;  Old,  ib. 

Fits  and  Staggers,                        -             -  -       262 

Canker ;  External,                -                           -  ib. 

Canker  ;  Internal,  ib. 

Eyes  ;  Films  over  the,  ib. 

Rheumatism  in  Dogs,    -  -       263 

To  make  a  dog  fine  in  his  skin,  ib. 

For  a  Hovering  in  the  Lights  of  Dogs,   -  ib. 

To  cure  the  Red  Taint  or  Mange,     -  ib. 

Mange,  if  from  Repletion,  -       264 

if  from  Weakness  or  poor  living,      -  ib. 

To  destroy  Worms,        -  -       265 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

PRESERVATION  AND  REARING  OF  GAME. — DESTROYING 

VERMIN,  &c.                -             -  -       266 

Preservation  of  Game,                          -  ib. 

Inconvenience  of  Game  being  too  thick,  ib. 

Quietude  necessary,              -             -  ib. 

Mischief  of  often  disturbing  the  Game,  -       267 

Gaps  and  Creeps  should  be  stopped,  ib. 

The  common  Gin  much  used  by  Poachers,  ib. 

When  evidently  set  for  Game,  268 


CONTENTS.  XXI 

Page 

Utility  of  Dog-spears,  against  Poachers,  268 
The  Spears  should  be  numbered,  -  ib. 
To  keep  Pheasants  at  home,  -  ib. 
To  know  whether  Coverts  are  entered,  269 
Partridge's  Nests  cut  out  of  the  grass,  -  ib. 
Rearing  Pheasants  and  Partridges  under  Do- 
mestic Hens,  -  ib. 
The  purchasing  of  Eggs,  for  rearing,  -  ib. 
Bantams  better  than  the  common  Hens,  -  270 
Keeping  the  Hen  in  a  Coop,  -  -  ib. 
The  Hen  and  brood  should  be  allowed  to  range,  271 
Proper  construction  of  the  Coop,  -  ib. 
Pheasants  arid  Partridges  reared  near  a  house,  ib. 
Courage  of  Partridges  so  reared,  ib. 
Food  for  the  young  birds,  -  ib. 
Ants'  Eggs,  the  best,  -  ib. 
Maggots,  a  good  substitute,  ib. 
Artificial  Ants'  Eggs,  -  ib. 
Pheasants  more  difficult  to  rear  than  Partridges,  272 
The  Gapes,  and  how  to  cure  them,  -  ib. 
Proper  position  for  the  Coop,  -  ib. 
Destruction  of  Vermin,  importance  of,  273 
Birds  of  Prey,  how  to  be  destroyed,  -  ib. 
Gins,  for  Polecats,  Weazels,  Cats,  &c.  ib. 
How  to  set  these  gins,  -  -  ib. 
Hutch-traps,  advantage  of,  in  one  respect,  -  274 
But  gins  preferable,  -  -  ib. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

GREYHOUNDS,    THEIR    BREEDING    AND    TRAINING. — 

COURSING,  AND  THE  LAWS  OF  COURSING,  -  275 

Symmetry  of  a  Greyhound,       -  ib. 

Good  Feeding  indispensable,  ib. 

Importance  of  a  good  Sire  and  Darn,    -  -       276 

Old  Dams  objectionable,       -  ib. 

Late  Puppies  seldom  good,  ib. 


XX11  CONTENTS. 

Page 

More  than  one  bitch  should  be  warded,              -  276 

Cleanliness,  Food,  and  Exercise  necessary,  -  ib. 

Improper  Modes  of  Exercise,   -                           -  277 

Fast  Work  necessary,  to  obtain  condition,  -  ib. 

Food  of  Greyhounds,    -  ib. 

The  Distemper  in  Greyhounds,        -  278 

Coursing. — To  find  hares  readily,  ib. 

Best  country  for  Coursing,  -             -  ib. 

When  a  Hare  is  found,                           -  ib. 

Ground  to  be  given  her  at  the  Start,  279 

If  more  than  a  brace  of  Greyhounds  in  the  field,  ib. 

Care  necessary  in  riding  a  course,  ib. 

Lifting  Greyhounds,  when  proper,  -  ib. 

THE  LAWS  OF  COURSING,             -                            -  280 

General  Rules  recommended,  283 

Local  Rules,     .....  285 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

TERMS  USED  IN  SPORTING,             -             -  288 

BOOK  V -FISHING. 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

TROUT  FISHING,  -       293 

Knowledge  of  Flies,  the  first  requisite,  ib. 

Ability  to  tie  them,  also  necessary,  -       294 

Important  General  Rules  as  to  Flies,  ib. 

Flies  in  general  use  in  each  month,       -  295,  296 

Flies  change  their  hues,       -  ib. 

Whipping  with  an  Artificial  Fly,  ib. 


CONTENTS.  XX111 


Plying  a  Trout  until  he  is  tired,  -       296 

Evening  the  best  time  for  fishing,     -  297 

Dress  for  Trout  Fishing,  ib. 

The  Fisher  should  screen  himself,   -  ib. 

Proper  Position  of  the  Fisher,  -  ib. 

Best  Period  for  Trout  Fishing,  298 

Spinning  a  Minnow  ;  Walton's  mode,  -  ib. 

Improvement  on  Walton's  method,  299 

Tackle,  Proper,  ib. 

When-  the  water  is  clouded  and  thick,          -  ib. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

PIKE,    PERCH,    AND   OTHER   FISHING. — RODS,  LINES, 

HOOKS,  &c.,  -  ....       300 

Pike  Fishing,           -  ib. 

Trolling  for  Pike,  the  best  sport,  ib. 

The  author's  plan  for  taking  Pike,   -  ib. 

Perch  Fishing,  -       301 

Bait  for  Perch,  and  how  to  fix  it,     -  -     302,  303 
Time  of  day,  and  of  year,  for  Perch  Fishing,     -         ib. 

Other  Fishes.— General  Rules,  ib. 

Fishing  Rods  ;  wood  for,  and  making,  ib. 

Length,  weight,  joints,  &c.,  of  Rods,  304 

Lines,  -             -  -       305 

Hooks,  306 

Hooks,  to  whip  on,       -  ib. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

AN  ABRIDGMENT  OF  THE  GAME  LAWS  NOW  IN  FORCE,  -  308 

A  LIST  OF  THE  LONDON  GUNMAKERS  FOR  1845,  321 

INDEX,  -  -  325 


BOOK  I. 

THE    HUNTER. 

CHAPTER  I. 

OPT  THE  BREEDING  AND  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS. 

To  all  who  take  delight  in  the  manly  and  invigorating 
recreations  of  the  field,  so  generally  indulged  in  by  English- 
men of  every  grade  in  some  way  or  other,  there  is  no  aux- 
iliary so  essential  as  the  Horse.  We  are  indebted  to  this 
noble,  generous,  and  gallant  animal,  for  the  chief  of  our  na- 
tional sports;  and  with  him,  therefore,  I  have  first  to  deal. 

I  must  here  remark,  that  although  I  have  had  some  expe- 
rience in  training  my  own  horses  for  a  few  "public  events," 
that  circumstance  would  not  justify  my  attempting  to  enter 
into  the  mysteries  of  bringing  one  to  the  post  for  the  two 
thousand  guineas  stakes,  the  Derby,  or  the  St.  Leger;  albeit, 
the  variation  between  getting  a  hunter  of  the  present  day, 
and  a  race-horse,  into  first-rate  condition,  is  so  very  slight 
that  it  may  be  regarded  as  nearly  a  distinction  without  a 
difference.  Drawing  the  latter  finer,  and  giving  him  more 
quick  work  than  the  former,  is  about  the  only  distinction  in 
the  mode  of  treatment  applicable  to  them.  Gentlemen, 
however,  who  breed,  buy,  and  run  race-horses,  as  a  matter 
3 


20  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

of  course,  either  keep  private  trainers,  or  they  patronise  the 
public  stables;  and  while  such  stables  are  to  be  found  as 
Scott's,  Dawson's,  Forth's,  and  others,  I  think,  upon  refer- 
ring to  the  past,  that  the  chances  of  success  are  almost 
wholly  with  these  exclusives,  and  that  owners  had  far  better 
put  trust  and  confidence  in  their  experience  and  judgment 
than  in  any  system  or  knowledge  of  their  own.  Conceiving, 
therefore,  that  it  would  be  occupying  space  unnecessarily 
to  enlarge  upon  the  economy  of  the  racing  stable,  I  shall  at 
once  come  to  the  first  link  of  my  intentions,  by  opening  upon 
the  breeding  and  condition  of  the  Hunter. 

That  we  can  have  porridge  without  salt,  is  quite  certain; 
but  that  we  cannot  have  porridge  without  meal,  is  equally 
positive.  In  other  words,  we  may  possess  a  horse  scarcely 
worthy  to  be  classed  as  one,  and  yet  he  never  could  have 
proved  a  disgrace  to  his  kith  and  kindred,  unless  it  had  been 
through  the  agency  of  the  mare.  It  is  obvious,  therefore, 
that  as  a  first  cause  we  should  consider  the  stock  and  origin 
of  the  animal  we  desire  to  produce.  I  am  of  opinion  that 
good  things  generally  spring  from  good,  although  occasion- 
ally the  reverse  is  the  result.  This,  however,  is  the  exception 
to  the  rule;  and  by  no  means  are  we  to  be  guided  by  ex- 
ceptions. To  get  good  wheat,  the  farmer  sows  good  seed; 
and  sometimes  his  expectations  are  doomed  to  bitter  disap- 
pointment in  the  reaping.  Nevertheless  when  seed-time 
comes  again,  he  adheres  to  the  practice  of  sowing  the  best 
seed  he  can  obtain.  Now,  to  have  a  fair  and  generally 
successful  result  in  breeding  a  colt  designed  to  go  straight 
to  hounds,  I  say,  get  a  well-bred,  large,  and  roomy  mare, 
with  a  constitution  as  sound  as  a  nut.  If  her  legs  and  feet 
have  not  prematurely  failed,  it  matters  not  although  there 
be,  in  the  phraseology  of  grooms,  "a  screw  loose"  in  these 
particulars.  But  in  the  event  of  their  having  gone,  from  a 


ON   THE  BREEDING  OF  HUNTERS.  21 

flaw  or  weakness  in  her  frame,  do  not  attempt  to  incur  the 
expense  and  infinite  pains  of  letting  her  be  a  brood  mare. 
I  am  also  no  advocate  for  breeding  from  worn-out,  aged 
mares.  The  chances  are  that  a  half-conceived,  pigmy, 
miserable  wretch  is  dropped;  to  be  poorly  nursed,  and, 
when  brought  up,  to  be  worth  nothing,  and  sold  for  less. 
The  mother  should  be  ripe,  not  rotten.  The  same  rule  will 
apply  to  the  stallion,  regarding  his  constitution.  Many,  and, 
indeed,  most  of  our  superior  stallions,  tell  tales  in  the  legs 
but  they  are  the  effects  of  hard  work  and  severe  training, 
and  in  no  way  are  objections  to  the  breeder  allowing  him- 
to  become  a  sire.  By  way  of  choice,  I  should  prefer  a  horse 
whose  legs  had  never  given  way;  but  if  they  had  done  so 
from  racing  only,  I  should  not  think  for  a  moment  of  reject- 
ing him  on  account  of  his  legs.  Had  he  thrown  out,  how- 
ever, a  splent,  curb,  ringbone,  or  spavin,  I  would  avoid  him 
for  my  stock,  let  his  performances  have  been  ever  so  good. 
Be  it  remembered,  at  the  same  time,  that  the  performances 
of  the  stallion  are  famous  borrowed  light  for  the  progeny; 
and  that,  notwithstanding  his  shape  may  be  the  perfection 
of  symmetry,  and  his  capacities  beyond  a  question,  yet  if  he 
has  not  proved  what  he  can  do,  there  can  be  no  inheritance 
of  a  noble  name;  and  without  it,  high  prices,  for  colts  can- 
not be  expected. 

It  is  now  a  somewhat  stale  phrase,  that  "  the  best  part  of 
a  horse  goes  in  at  the  mouth."  This,  without  a  question,  is 
the  truth;  and  a  mare  in  foal,  and  particularly  after  she  has 
dropped  her  foal,  should  enjoy  a  good  and  generous  diet. 
Care  should  be  taken  that  the  colt  be  dropped  early;  and 
the  dam  be  liberally  fed  on  bran  mashes  mixed  with  corn, 
carrots,  and  good  old  hay;  and,  above  all  things,  be  kept 
warm  and  comfortable.  It  is  asserted  by  some,  that  if  she 
prove  a  good  nurse,  the  colt  will  not  require  corn  till  he  be 


22  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

weaned.  With  this  I  decidedly  disagree.  My  belief,  founded 
on  my  experience,  is,  that  as  soon  as  the  colt  can  digest  a 
broken  oat,  he  should  be  no  stranger  to  its  flavour;  and  the 
more  corn  he  can  be  induced  to  eat,  by  giving  him  it  a  little 
and  often,  the  finer  and  nobler  animal  he  will  become.  When 
weaned,  which  should  be  early  in  and  not  later  than  the 
middle  of  September,  the  colt  should  have  a  head-collar  put 
on,  which  will  allow  of  his  being  handled  a  little  from  time 
to  time;  and  thus,  by  degrees,  learning  to  be  docile  and 
good-tempered  in  regard  to  the  duties  required  of  him.  I 
need  scarcely  say  that  now,  being  bereft  of  the  tenderness 
of  his  nurse,  he  should  have  the  greatest  attention  paid  to 
his  feeling  as  little  the  want  of  her  as  possible.  His  allow- 
ance of  good  sweet  hay  should  be  full,  and  never  less  than 
half  a  peck  of  oats  per  diem;  while,  never  allowing  him  to 
be  sensible  to  cold,  is,  if  possible,  of  greater  importance. 
Every  six  weeks  or  two  months  at  most,  his  toes  should  be 
rasped  down,  and  his  heels  opened.  In  the  spring,  about  the 
first  week  in  April,  he  should  have  a  couple  of  gentle  doses 
of  physic.  After  the  effects  of  the  medicine  are  got  over, 
and  the  weather  becomes  sufficiently  mild,  turn  him  out  into 
good  sweet  grass  for  the  summer,  where  there  is  water  and 
shade.  If  there  be  not  sufficient  from  the  trees  in  the 
vicinity,  a  shed  should  be  erected  to  screen  him  from  the 
heat;  as  there  is  nothing  more  tantalizing  and  conducive  to 
the  spoiling  of  his  temper  than  exposure  to  a  baking  sun  and 
his  irritating  enemies,  the  buzzing  and  stinging  universal 
family  of  the  flies,  There  should  be,  too,  an  easy  shelving 
place  for  him  at  which  he  may  get  his  water  at  all  times; 
and  I  would  here  advise,  from  having  lost  a  truly  valuable 
colt  in  neglecting  the  precaution,  that,  if  there  is  a  proba- 
bility of  his  getting  into  danger  when  going  to  slake  his 
thirst,  you  should,  by  hurdles,  bars,  fagots,  or  any  similar 


ON   THE  BREEDING  OF  HUXTER.S.  23 

preventatives,  render  injury  to  him  impossible.  The  same 
care  should  be  taken  as  previous  to  his  being  turned  out,  in 
rasping  his  toes  and  opening  his  heels.  It  is  unfortunately 
more  general  with  breeders  than  exceptional  with  them,  to 
leave  their  colts  out,  as  long  as  the  weather  remains  open; 
which  frequently  happens  to  continue  so  until  late  in  Novem- 
ber. This  is  a  very  great  mistake;  as,  after  Michaelmas, 
there  is  little  nutriment  in  the  grass,  and  it  is  sour  and  un- 
wholesome. Not  later,  therefore,  than  the  second  week  in 
September,  house  him  again  in  his  comfortable  straw-yard; 
and  stint  him  not  in  the  best  of  corn  and  the  sweetest  of  hay. 
Deal  both  with  no  sparing  hand;  and,  if  you  ever  thought  of 
the  aphorism  of  '*  the  best  part  of  a  horse  going  into  his 
mouth,"  remember  it  at  this  season. 

When  two  years  old,  he  should  enter  the  first  circles  and 
be  broken  in ;  but  not  backed.  Let  him  have,  as  a  prelimi- 
nary, a  gentle  course  of  physic  ;  and,  previous  to  trusting 
him  to  the  hands  of  the  breaker,  (if  your  head-groom  be  not 
competent,)  be  sure  that  this  worthy  possesses  patience,  and 
a  good  temper ;  or  let  your  anticipations  pave  the  way  of  the 
realization  of  your  disappointment.  Early  in  the  following 
June,  as  a  general  rule,  the  colt  should  be  cut ;  although  this 
must  depend  upon  circumstances  and  the  judgment  of  the 
breeder.  Should  his  growth  appear  to  be  such  that  he  is 
likely  to  become  an  ungainly  animal,  with  a  large  body  and 
weak  legs ;  or,  if  there  is  not  a  convenient  paddock,  box, 
and  straw-yard,  to  keep  him  from  the  evils  of  early  excess; 
the  first  year  for  castration  is  to  be  preferred  :  but,  generally 
speaking,  the  second  is  the  period  for  that  important  opera- 
tion. Upon  recovery,  he  should  be  turned  out  for  the  re- 
mainder of  the  summer.  When  taken  up  again,  he  should, 
as  before,  have  a  couple  of  doses  of  physic,  and  be  kept 
warm  and  well ;  occasionally  having  a  large  bran  mash  and 

3* 


24 

a  few  carrots.     Now  comes  the  important  epoch  in  the  pro- 
mising colt's  existence.     At  the  dawn  of  spring,  let  him  have 
another  prescription  in  a  mild  form  ;  and,  when  the  sickening 
effects  are  well  got  over,  and  his  spirits  regained,  he  should 
have  the  pigskin  girthed  across  him,  be  backed,  and  taught 
his  paces  by  a  light  weight,  who  possesses  a  light  hand,  and 
one  who  well  understands  his  business.     The  colt  is  now 
three  years  old ;  and  henceforth  industry  must  hold  the  ribands 
of  his  fate.     To  let  him  be  idle  at  this  age,  is  to  injure  him. 
Exercise  will  develop  his  muscles, improve  his  form,  strengthen 
his  sinews,  and  greatly  tend  to  make  him  grow.     He  is  now 
to  be  considered  a  horse,  and   in   every  respect  should  be 
treated   as  such  ;  except  in  his  work,  which,  until  he  has 
completed  his  fifth  year,  should  be  gentle  and  moderate.     I 
have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  there  are  more  horses  spoiled 
between  three  and  six  than  there  are  between  six  and  twenty 
years  of  age.     It  is  the  early  work  that  ruins  and  kills  the 
best  horses  bred ;   and  our  great  two-year  old  and  three-year 
old  stakes  greatly  occasion  this  wholesale  destruction  to  the 
forced  and  unnatural  powers  of  the  animal  professedly  to  be 
encouraged  by  these  prizes.     But  it  is  not  because  a  horse  is 
not  "up  to  the  mark,"  to  use  the  graphic  language  of  the 
stable,  until  he  is  five  years  old,  that  he  is  not  ready  for  the 
market.     On  the  contrary,  a  three-year  old,  bred  as  he  always 
may  be,  brought  up,  broken,  and  trained  as  he  always  can 
be,  with  common  luck   against  accidents   and   misfortunes, 
will  invariably  find  a  buyer  at  a  price  averaging  from  one  to 
two  hundred  pounds.     Considering  this,  and  the  great  dearth 
of  hunters  of  the  superlative  order,  it  is  quite  marvellous  that 
farmers  should  pay  so  little  regard  to  the  description  of  mares 
they  breed  from,  and  should  be  so  reluctant  to  take  them  to 
first  rate  stallions.     "  Penny  wise  and  pound  foolish"  ap- 
pears to  be  the  rule  by  which  they  are  governed  in  this  par- 


ON  THE  BREEDING  OF  HUNTEHS.  25 

ticular ;  and  in  doling  out  a  poor  fee  for  a  leap  from  some 
unknown,  provincial  horse,  they  little  think  how  much  is 
lost  by  the  niggardly  investment.  My  advice  is,  in  the 
breeding  of  a  hunter,  get  a  well-shaped  mare,  with  a  sound 
constitution ;  stint  her  to  a  popular  stallion  (he  can  scarcely 
have  become  popular  unless  he  merited  the  distinction)  of  a 
similar  stamp ;  keep  the  colt  well  and  warm ;  pay  attention 
to  his  general  health  and  to  his  feet  until  he  is  three  years 
old ;  then  begin  to  put  him  into  gentle  work :  and  it  is  "  a 
horse  to  a  hayseed  "  that  you  will  have  a  hunter  to  repay  you 
amply  for  every  oat  that  he  has  swallowed  and  for  every 
minute's  attention  that  he  has  occupied. 

Having  now  bred  our  horse,  we  will  go  into  the  particulars 
of  the  means  and  appliances  of  bringing  him  into  that  most 
indispensable  state  for  the  accomplishing  of  quick  and  heavy 
work,  "  fine  condition."  It  is  generally  admitted  that  an 
inferior  horse  in  good  condition  can  beat  a  superior  one  in 
bad  ;  and  it  requires  neither  the  aid  of  a  philosopher  nor  a 
conjurer  to  prove  the  soundness  of  the  aphorism.  Such 
alterations  have  I  seen, — and,  if  I  may  be  allowed  to  venture 
upon  the  dangerous  brink  of  egotism,  produced, — in  horses 
between  very  bad  condition  and  very  good,  that  the  best 
acquainted  with  them  could  not  even  have  recognised  them. 
Upon  one  occasion  I  bought  a  mare  at  Tattersall's  for  fifteen 
guineas ;  a  friend  who  was  with  me  ridiculed  my  purchasing 
11  such  a  brute^  as  he  called  it;  and  if  outward  appearances 
justified  the  character  bestowed  upon  my  bargain,  I  must 
confess  there  was  no  reason  for  complaint,  and  no  slander 
committed.  Such,  however,  was  the  improvement  in  her 
crestless  neck,  shoulders,  thighs  and  gaskins,  from  good  old 
oats,  beans,  white  peas,  and  hay,  proper  alteratives,  exercise, 
and  work ;  that,  within  seven  months  from  the  day  of  my 
buying  "  the  brute/'  I  sold  her  to  my  friend  for  one  hundred 


26  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

and  fifty  pounds,  without  his  being  conscious  of  her  being 
"the  brute"  that  he  had  laughed  at  my  buying.  Keeping 
this  information  from  him,  I  inquired  some  time  afterwards, 
how  he  liked  the  mare.  "  She  carries  me  better,"  replied 
he,  "  than  any  horse  in  my  stable  ;  and  I  wouldn't  take  five 
hundred  pounds  for  her."  If  ever  a  man  was  made  breath- 
less with  astonishment,  my  friend  was  so,  at  my  now  telling 
him  that  the  object  of  his  unqualified  praise  was  the  miserable 
wretch  he  had  seen  me  purchase  at  Tattersall's  for  fifteen 
guineas,  not  twelve  months  before. 

I  am  now  writing  for  the  times  we  live  in  ;  and  although 
there  may  be  a  few  with  prejudices  and  antiquated  notions, 
who  may  dispute  the  grounds  of  innovation  and  modern  im- 
provement, I  will  allege  nothing  without  having  a  "  where- 
fore" for  every  "  why."  It  must  be  remembered  that  the 
hunter  of  the  present  day  has  to  perform  very  different  kind 
of  work  from  what  he  had  fifty  years  ago.  "  Then,"  as  one 
of  the  old  school  said  to  me,  "  they  were  minutes  finding, 
and  hours  killing;  but  now  it's  hours  finding,  and  minutes 
killing."  In  former  days,  a  fox  was  drawn  for  as  soon 
as  it  was  light,  and  occasionally  a  little  before ;  and  the 
heavy  slow-hounds,  (as  I  am  told,  for  I  have  not,  from  per- 
sonal experience,  the  slightest  idea  of  what  took  place  so 
long  before  I  went  black-berrying,)  then  in  vogue,  pulled 
him  down  by  degrees.  I  have  heard  it  asserted,  that  even 
reynard  was  then  a  slow  coach,  and  of  the  heavy-drag  order, 
compared  with  "the  varmint"  of  the  modern  time;  but  of 
that,  I  must  say,  I  ever  felt  sceptical ;  although  the  reason 
given  was,  that  a  fox,  so  early  in  the  morning,  was  gorged, 
and,  his  duck  being  undigested,  he  could  not  run  so  fast  as 
at  the  present  fashionable  hour  of  eleven  or  one,  when  he  is 
whipped  or  unkenneled  from  the  gorse.  However  this  may 
be  with  regard  to  foxes,  it  is  quite  certain  that  hounds  go 


ON  THE  BREEDING  OF  HUNTERS.  27 

faster  now  than  they  did  in  days  gone  by  ;  and  therefore 
horses,  to  live  with  them,  must  go  faster  also.  It  is  the  pace 
now,  that  is  regarded  by  the  fox-hunter  of  the  nineteenth 
century  ;  but  whether  the  improvement  in  the  speed  affords 
more  sport  than  the  obsolete  slow  and  sure  hunting  of  old, 
is  to  my  mind  very  questionable.  As  to  this,  however,  it  is 
worse  than  useless  to  enter  upon  any  discussion ;  as,  what- 
ever argument  might  be  used  against  the  flying  system,  that 
system  would  continue  in  spite  of  all  that  might  be  said  or 
written  ;  for  "  the  pace  we  go"  is  the  very  spirit  of  the  age 
in  which  we  live. 

I  will  suppose  the  horse  desired  to  be  put  into  good  con- 
dition is  at  grass,  where  I  trust  we  shall  never  find  him 
again  ;  but,  in  order  to  have  him  in  as  unfavourable  a  state 
as  possible,  we  will  imagine  him  in  a  pasture  as  fat  as  a  prize 
ox  at  Smithfield  in  the  middle  of  July.  This  of  course  must 
be  got  off  him,  and  quite  another  description  of  flesh  put  on, 
by  the  end  of  October,  when  he  will  be  required  to  go,  I 
hope,  straight  to  hounds.  Physic  and  sweating,  at  as  little 
expense  to  his  legs  as  possible,  are  the  only  proper  means  of 
taking  it  off:  while  good  old  oats,  beans,  hay,  alterative 
balls,  exercise  and  work,  judiciously  administered,  are  the 
only  legitimate  ones  of  putting  it  on.  I  will  now  submit  the 
system  I  think  the  best  to  adopt  in  these  successsive  cases. 
When  the  horse  is  taken  up,  (which  should  not  be  a  day 
later  than  the  third  week  in  July ;  as  after  this,  the  nights, 
or  rather  the  mornings  at  daybreak,  become  cold  and  very 
likely  to  give  his  coat  a  check,)  and  housed,  he  should  be 
kept  as  cool  as  possible.  As  this  c-an  hardly  be,  if  there  are 
many  horses  in  the  stable,  it  is  better  to  put  him  into  a  loose 
box,  house,  or  shed,  by  himself;  where,  by  leaving  the 
window  or  door  open,  by  placing  a  bar  or  two  instead  of  the 
latter,  the  temperature  can  be  maintained  as  low  as  may  be 


28 

wished.  As  there  is  no  time  for  delay,  (for  it  should  be  re- 
membered that  the  hunter  is  required  now  to  be  in  as  racing 
condition  as  a  filly  for  the  Oaks,  and  that  the  former,  under 
the  circumstances  I  have  mentioned,  has  scarcely  as  many 
weeks  for  training  as  the  latter  has  months,)  the  sooner  he 
has  his  first  dose  of  physic,  the  better.  Frequently  prepara- 
tions are  made  for  this,  by  giving  him  bran  mashes :  but  as 
his  bowels  are  quite  sufficiently  relaxed  by  the  grass  he  has 
been  eating,  there  is  no  necessity  for  any  such  preliminary. 
As  a  rule,  a  mild  dose, — for  sudden  and  violent  purging  is 
exceedingly  injurious  at  all  times, — should  be  given;  not 
exceeding  five  drachms  of  aloes.  But  this  may  frequently 
depend  upon  the  knowledge  of  the  constitution  of  a  horse ; 
some  being  capable  of  bearing  severer  doses  than  others. 
Strong  physic,  however,  I  greatly  disapprove  of;  and,  with 
judicious  management,  there  is  no  necessity  for  giving  it. 
When  the  horse  is  in  physic,  he  should  have  all  the  warm 
water  that  he  will  drink;  and  be  walked  out  at  intervals  of 
an  hour,  three  times  during  the  day:  but  he  should  not  be 
backed  except  by  a  weight  not  exceeding  the  specific  gravity 
of  a  fly.  Let  him  be  led  on  a  level  piece  of  turf,  of  such  a 
length  as  not  to  be  required  to  be  turned  abruptly  too  often. 
Under  the  influence  of  the  medicine,  he  will  feel  sick  and 
faint ;  and  therefore,  to  hood  and  clothe  him,  is  but  to  add 
to  his  nausea  and  languor.  He  should  be  taken  out  without 
a  rug  on;  and,  if  he  declines  the  warm  water,  permitted  to 
drink  at  any  pond  or  exposed  stream  that  he  may  meet.  A 
bucket  from  a  well  just  dipped,  would  injure  him:  but  a 
draught  to  which  air  and  light  can  get,  at  this  season  of  the 
year,  will  never  chill  him  nor  in  any  way  prove  prejudicial. 

By  the  time  he  is  ready  for  the  second  dose,  which  should 
be  a  full  week  after  the  setting  of  the  first,  a  little  more  pre- 
paration and  care  is  necessary.  He  will  now  have  had 


ON  THE  BREEDING  OF  HUNTERS.  29 

hard  meat,  and  his  bowels  will  have  lost  the  opening  effects 
from  the  grass.  Give  him,  therefore,  a  couple  of  large  loose 
bran  mashes  for  two  days  in  succession;  which  will  relax 
them,  like  the  grass;  and  thus  the  same  quantity  of  physic 
will,  in  the  form  of  a  second  dose,  operate  as  lively  as  the 
first.  He  should  now  be  hooded,  and  have  a  warm  body- 
cloth  on;  and,  having  become  reconciled  to  the  change  of 
temperature,  from  the  open  air  to  confinement,  the  window 
or  door  may  be  closed,  or  partly  so,  if  the  box,  shed,  or 
stall  be  considered  likely  to  become  too  warm  of  a  sudden. 
As  regards  giving  him  warm  water  and  exercise  while  the 
physic  is  operating,  the  same  rule  will  apply  for  the  second 
dose  as  for  the  first.  At  the  end  of  a  week  after  the  setting 
of  the  second  dose,  give  him  three  loose  mashes;  and  add 
half  a  drachm  of  aloes  to  the  third  and  last  dose,  as  it  will 
take  more  to  open  his  bowels  now  that  he  has  had  hard 
meat,  arid  a  predisposition  to  cosliveness  invariably  exists 
from  the  effects  of  the  physic  already  taken.  It  is  a  mis- 
taken notion  with  grooms  generally,  that  the  ball  ought  to 
lie  in  the  horse  for  a  day,  otherwise  it  will  not  operate  so- 
beneficially.  This,  however,  is  one  of  those  common  errors 
which  are  fallen  into  from  precedent,  without  the  slightest 
inquiry  as  to  the  reason.  It  must  be  self-evident  that  the 
object  of  giving  the  aloes  being  to  clear  the  intestines  from 
foulness,  the  sooner  the  office  is  performed  the  better;  as  the 
horse  recovers  from  the  sickness  in  a  few  hours,  instead  of 
needlessly  being  subjected  to  it  for  a  much  longer  period. 
Exercise,  therefore,  on  the  day  the  physic  is  given,  and  as 
much  warm  water  as  he  will  drink,  are  the  means  of  speedily 
getting  rid  of  the  deleterious  effects. 

The  horse  has  now  had  his  last  dose  of  physic,  prepara- 
tory to  bringing  him  into  work;  for,  although  he  must  have 


30  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

exercise  from  the  day  he  is  stabled,  yet  there  should  be  no- 
thing like  work  until  we  have  got  some  steel  in  him.  His 
condition  must  now  proceed  by  degrees;  for  if  any  body's 
ardent  temperament  lead  him  to  suppose  that  this  state  is  to 
be  arrived  at,  at  a  bound,  he  will  be  lamentably  mistaken. 
The  horse  should  now  have  eight  pounds  of  hay  per  day, 
and  five  feeds  of  corn.  It  has  been  said,  by  some  of  my 
sporting  friends,  that  my  allowance  of  hay  is  short;  but  I 
think  a  larger  quantity  unnecessary,  and  likely  to  increase 
the  carcass  and  be  detrimental  to  the  horse's  wind.  Upon 
the  lapse  of  a  fortnight  after  he  has  had  his  last  dose,  during 
which  space  of  time  he  should  be  walked  and  trotted  in  his 
hood  and  clothes  for  three  hours  in  the  course  of  the  day, 
he  must  begin  to  do  some  work ;  for  without  this  little  pro- 
gress can  be  made.  But  it  should  be  remembered,  that  he 
is  not  yet  in  condition  to  do  what  is  termed  good  work. 
Mild  and  gentle  means  are  to  be  resorted  to;  not  violence. 
Instead  of  brushing  gallops,  let  him  be  well  and  heavily 
clothed,  and  seduced  into  gentle  sweats,  often  repeated. 
These  can  be  got  without  hazard  to  his  feet  or  his  legs,  and 
with  no  distress  to  his  yet  foggy  and  imperfect  wind.  As 
his  condition  improves, — and  it  will  daily,  with  care  and 
management, —  so  should  his  work  be  increased;  and  he 
should  now  be  kept  out  of  his  stable  for  four  hours  in  the 
day.  Alterative  medicine  must  now  be  used;  as  it  is  quite 
impossible  to  get  a  horse  into  blooming  condition  without 
the  use  of  it,  exclusive  of  physic;  that  is  to  say,  in  such  con- 
dition as  to  be  in  full  strength  and  vigour  of  body,  to  dry  as 
readily  after  a  sweat  as  breath  leaves  the  surface  of  a  dia- 
mond, and  to  look  little  less  bright  than  a  diamond  when 
dry.  There  are  different  kinds  of  these  alterative  medi- 
cines: but  antimony  forms  the  principal,  as  an  operative 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  31 

upon  the  skin;  and  nitre  as  diuretical,  in  provoking  a  free 
action  of  the  kidneys.  These  medicines,  when  a  horse  is  in 
work,  should  be  combined:  as  they  will  check  that  tendency 
to  excitement  of  the  general  habit,  which  invariably  accom- 
panies a  change  from  rest  to  work;  purify  the  blood,  with- 
out the  least  violence  to  the  system,  and  give  vigour  and 
tone  to  the  constitution.  Nitre  is  extremely  cooling:  but  it 
should  be  remembered,  by  those  who  are  fond  of  giving  this 
medicine  in  large  quantities,  that  it  is  of  a  debilitating  na- 
ture. I  would  also  have  it  borne  in  mind,  that  antimony, 
producing  insensible  perspiration,  opens  the  pores  of  the 
skin;  and  therefore  precautions  should  be  taken,  for  not  ex- 
posing the  horse  to  wet  or  cold  when  under  its  influence. 
The  following  ball  I  have  given  to  my  horses,  as  an  altera- 
tive; and,  although  other  combinations  may  be  found  equally 
good,  I  do  not  think  one  can  be  mixed  to  surpass  it. 

Nitrate  of  potash, 4  ounces. 

^thiop's  mineral,       ....  3     do. 

Camphor, 1     do* 

Balsam  of  sulphur,     ....  1     do. 

Cinnabar  of  antimony,     ...  1     do. 

To  be  made  into  ten  balls. 

• 

./Ethiop's  mineral  is  objected  to  by  some,  from  containing 
so  large  a  proportion  of  calomel;  but  if  the  horse  be  kept,  as 
I  have  said  before,  from  the  cold  and  wet,  no  danger  from 
giving  calomel  is  to  be  apprehended.  Should,  however,  this 
still  be  feared,  from  prejudice  or  other  causes,  the  mineral 
can  be  omitted,  and  the  same  quantity  of  antimony  be  mixed 
instead,  with  a  couple  of  ounces  of  balsam  of  sulphur. 

To  greedy  feeders  and  horses  of  full  gross  habit,  one  ball 
may  be  administered  every  week  or  ten  days;  and  to  all 
4 


32  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

horses,  tvhen  in  work,  a  course  of  alteratives,  in  accordance 
with  their  constitutions  and  the  effects  they  have  upon  them, 
should  be  given  every  six  weeks  or  two  months  at  farthest. 
This  system  will  render  unnecessary  the  frequent  use  of 
strong  purgatives,  which  at  all  times  are  to  be  dispensed 
with,  except  in  cases  of  disease;  for  it  should  be  remembered 
that  the  intestines  of  a  horse  are  very  delicate,  and  ex- 
tremely sensitive  to  any  thing  of  an  irritating  nature.  When 
a  horse  becomes  so  foul  that  a  mild  alterative  will  not  pro- 
duce the  desired  effect,  and  it  is  inconvenient  to  put  him  into 
physic,  a  stronger  one  may  be  tried;  and  I  know  of  no  bet- 
ter than  the  emetic  tartar.  It  is  quicker  and  more  powerful 
than  the  antimony :  but  caution  must  be  observed  that  no 
mischief  ensue  from  its  stimulating  properties.  As  a  rule, 
however,  in  the  hands  of  grooms  of  the  common  run,  I 
should  advise  the  use  of  the  common  antimony;  administer- 
ing an  ounce  per  diem  for  eight  days  in  succession:  and  if  a 
little  resin  be  added  occasionally,  it  will  lead  to  the  expedi- 
tious effect  of  the  antimony.  In  the  event  of  a  course  of 
either  of  these  alteratives  not  producing  the  wished-for  re- 
sult, the  foulness  of  habit  must  be  such  that  other  prepara- 
tions are  necessary;  and  it  is  useless  to  delay  or  tamper 
longer  with  the  disease:  for,  a  disease  it  amounts  to,  when 
these  fail;  and  a  judicious  course  of  medicine  is  proved  to 
be  necessary.  In  this  case, — for  there  is  a  distinction  with 
a  very  material  difference  between  physicking  for  condition 
and  physicking  for  disease, — I  recommend  the  immediate 
assistance  of  the  best  veterinary  surgeon  within  reach;  as 
neither  my  theory  nor  practice  in  the  mysteries  of  the  V.  S. 
warrant  my  entering  into  the  secrets  of  this  most  useful  pro- 
fession. I  will  now  take  the  opportunity  of  saying,  that,  for 
all  diseases  and  complaints,  of  whatever  kind,  except  colds, 
slight  attacks  of  inflammation  (I  say  slight  attacks  of  inflam- 


ON  THE  BREEDING  OF  HUNTERS.  33 

mation,  for  all  diseases  in  horses  are  of  an  inflammatory 
nature,)  and  accidental  causes  of  lameness,  I  advise  the  im- 
mediate attendance  of  the  most  capable  veterinary  surgeon 
that  can  be  procured.  As  well  might  a  man  attempt  to 
bleed,  blister,  and  physic  himself,  for  hidden  and  unknown 
causes  of  indisposition,  as  his  horse,  and  with  equal  chances 
of  committing  mistakes. 

But  to  return  to  the  succession  of  ordeals  which  are  to 
lead  us  to  the  object  of  our  pains, — unexceptionable  condi- 
tion. As  I  have  said  in  a  preceding  page,  he  must  be  put 
into  work  as  soon  as  the  third  and  last  dose  has  set.  Plenty 
of  slow  work  must  be  given,  and  a  gentle  sweat  every  four 
days.  To  effect  this,  hood  and  clothe  him  pretty  heavily; 
and  let  him  be  ridden  by  a  lad  on  the  turf,  when  soft  and 
springy,  or  on  a  fallow.  The  latter  I  like  better  than  the 
former;  as  it  uses  him  to  the  necessity  of  gettting  lightly 
over  dirt.  The  exertion,  too,  of  scrambling  through  such 
ground,  brings  the  moisture  out  of  his  skin,  without  an  un- 
necessary strain  upon  his  thews  and  sinews  in  quick  exer- 
cise. Not  but  that  I  like  him  to  have  "a  brushing  gallop" 
now  and  then,  and  when  fit  to  take  it:  but  he  is  not  fit  until 
he  has  been  gently  sweated  in  his  clothes;  and  then,  when 
he  is,  he  should  be  stripped  naked.  Nothing  can  be  more 
absurd  than  making  a  horse  undergo  the  exertion  of  a  gallop 
in  his  clothes;  more  particularly  when  his  condition  is  such 
as  to  make  that  a  labour  which,  when  approaching  to  ripe- 
ness, he  would  accomplish  with  ease.  There  can  be  no  wish 
to  distress  him,  when  "up  to  the  mark;"  much  less  should 
there  be  any  cause  to  do  so,  when  far  under  it.  I  have 
scarcely  known  whether  to  laugh  at  the  absurdity,  or  to  ex- 
postulate with  the  cruelty,  when  seeing  a  horse,  as  yet  but 
in  the  rudiments  of  condition,  heavily  clothed  and  hooded, 
and  being  hustled  along,  by  the  application  of  the  heels  of 


34  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

an  overgrown  booby.  Doubtless  this  is  one  way  of  making 
him  feel  faint;  but,  for  the  life  of  me,  I  cannot  see  how  it 
can  increase  his  bodily  vigour  and  spirits.  For  the  purpose 
of  sweating,  there  is  no  occasion  for  any  thing  like  speed. 
Indeed,  when  a  horse  is  in  such  a  state  as  to  require  a  suc- 
cession of  sweats  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  him  into 
condition,  it  is  quite  clear  that  he  is  not  prepared  for  the 
gallop;  much  less  is  he  fit  to  carry  hood,  rugs,  and  body- 
clothes  when  taking  it.  Many  grooms,  however,  have  great 
objections  to  let  the  breeze  fan  the  coats  of  their  horses;  in 
the  fear  of  chilling  them,  and  retarding  that  shot-silk  hue 
which  it  is  their  pride  to  see  glisten  on  them.  This  is  an 
error;  as  a  horse's  skin  is  refreshed,  like  our  own,  by  expo- 
sure to  the  air,  and  a  healthy  action  is  occasioned  by  it. 
Nothing,  too,  enlivens  a  horse,  accustomed  to  be  clothed 
from  his  ears  to  his  hocks,  more  than  stripping  him  of  them. 
He  feels  the  removal  of  these  encumbrances  to  his  freedom 
of  limb  and  action  very  refreshing.  I  need  scarcely  say  that 
the  weather  should  be  consulted  before  thus  "peeling  him'' 
for  his  gallop;  and  that,  when  stripped,  he  should  "go"  with- 
out delay. 

After  his  sweats, — and  the  hunter  cannot  be  got  into 
good  form  by  November,  unless  attention  be  paid  to  these 
grand  assistants  to  good  condition, — let  the  weather  prove 
never  so  warm,  he  should  be  taken  to  a  place  of  shelter, 
where  there  is  no  exposure  to  a  current  of  air,  and  there  be 
stripped  of  his  wet  clothes  and  scraped.  When  getting  dry, 
put  a  fresh  hood  and  clothes  on,  and  let  him  he  walked 
quietly  for  half  an  hour;  when  he  will  be  fit  to  dress.  The 
blunt  curry-comb  and  the  wisp  are  the  only  implements  that 
are  to  be  applied  in  dressing  him,  and  plenty  of  elbow  grease. 
I  should  here  remark,  that,  from  the  day  of  his  being  taken 
from  grass  until  now,  nothing  like  a  brush  must  have  been 


ON  THE  BREEDING  OF  HUNTERS.  35 

put  upon  him;  unless  from  some  extraordinary  desire  to  see 
his  coat  stare  and  stand  on  end,  "like  quills  upon  the  fretful 
porcupine."  Let  him  have  his  water  with  just  the  cold 
taken  off,  and  be  shut  up  without  being  disturbed  for  three 
or  four  hours. 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS  CONTINUED. THE    STABLE. 

TREATMENT  WHEN  DISTRESSED,  &C.  &C. 

I  HAVE  now  stated  all  that  I  consider  to  be  essential  Tor 
putting  a  hunter  into  as  good  form  as  he  can  be  in  the  time 
given  between  taking  him  from  grass  in  July  and  mounting 
him  at  the  covert  side  in  November;  for,  as  it  will  be  here- 
after seen,  I  deny  the  possibility  of  getting  a  hunter  into  the 
condition  that  the  modern  style  of  his  work  demands  in  the 
space  of  time  mentioned,  any  more  than  it  would  be  to  pre- 
pare a  horse  for  the  St.  Leger  in  the  same  period.  But  of 
this  in  its  place.  I  will  now,  therefore,  proceed  to  submit 
what,  in  my  opinion,  are  the  best  means  for  not  only  keeping 
him  in  the  state  arrived  at,  but  also  for  improving  it. 

I  am  not  an  architect  or  builder,  except  in  raising  castles 
in  the  air,  an  occupation  so  general  that  it  can  be  no  wonder 
that  stones  from  the  clouds  should  occasionally  fall;  and  I? 
therefore,  shall  not  treat,  now  nor  hereafter,  at  very  great 
length,  concerning  what  a  stable  ought  to  be  in  its  propor- 
tions, or  the  material  of  which  it  should  be  composed:  but  I 
must  be  allowed  to  say,  that  unless  a  stable,  be  it  large  or 
small,  be  warm,  dry,  and  well  ventilated,  it  is  impossible 
either  to  get  a  horse  into  good  condition  or  to  keep  him  in  it. 
There  is  a  vast  deal  of  difference  between  keeping  all  the 
foul  air  in,  leaving  no  vent  for  the  fetid  to  escape,  and  main- 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  37 

taining  a  cold,  contracting  temperature.  A  horse  should  feel 
as  comfortable  in  his  stall  as  an  Englishman  by  his  fireside ; 
and  no  one  will  question  whether  the  latter  can  do  so  unless 
he  is  warm  and  cozy.  I  have  heard  men  say,  "Clothe  your 
horses  well;  but  keep  your  stable  cool."  Now,  I  should  like 
to  know  how  they  would  feel,  wrapped  up  in  pilot  jackets  and 
mackintoshes,  sitting  in  a  cool  chamber  with  an  empty  grate, 
in  the  months  of  frosty  winter.  It  should  be  remembered, 
that  the  horse  is  originally  a  native  of  a  warm  country;  and 
while  he  improves  in  a  warm  one,  he  always  degenerates  in 
cold  regions.  There  is  no  better  proof  of  this  than  the  per- 
formances of  the  imported  blood  from  England,  in  the  United 
States  of  America.  In  the  Southern  States — and  there  may 
be  found  the  very  best  of  our  blood — the  climate  is  most  con- 
genial to  the  existence  of  the  horse;  and  even  in  the  Northern 
States,  where  the  winter  is  sharp  and  severe,  the  atmosphere 
is  dry  and  bracing,  and  fog  and  damp  are  scarcely  known. 
Here  we  find,  especially  in  the  former,  the  powers  of  en- 
durance in  the  horse  far  greater  than  with  us.  The  speed, 
too,  for  the  distance  that  they  run  when  racing,  which,  I  be- 
lieve, is  always  four-mile  heats,  is  truly  astonishing;  and  I 
venture  to  assert,  taking  the  reports  of  their  performances  in 
the  sporting  chronicles  to  be  correct,  that  there  is  not  a  horse 
in  the  united  kingdom  able  to  compete  with  many  in  America, 
fairly  handicapped,  in  a  race  over  a  flat  for  four  miles,  let  alone 
heats  of  the  like  distance.  This  can  only  be  owing  to  a  natural 
improvement  in  the  horse,  from  the  climate  approximating  to 
his  native  air;  for  it  would  be  ridiculous  for  any  body  to  allege 
that  the  management  there  is  better  than  with  us,  when  it  is 
well  known  the  better  their  system  in  this  particular,  as  in  all 
others  observed  by  the  republicans,  the  more  faithful  the  copy 
from  ours.  As  a  proof  of  degenerating  in  cold  climates,  I  have 


38  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

only  to  refer  to  the  little  shaggy  ponies  in  the  Welsh  moun- 
tains and  the  Highlands  of  Scotland. 

To  resume,  however,  my  remarks  respecting  the  stable. 
Whatever  may  be  thought,  whatever  may  be  said,  upon  the 
philosophy  of  keeping  horses  in  a  cold  stable,  (and  a  great 
deal  has  been,)  I  can  positively  declare,  that,  so  far  from 
having  experienced  any  ill  effects  from  a  hot  stable,  I  never 
had  a  hunter  in  my  life,  and  never  saw  one,  come  out  of  a  cold 
stable  iu  good  condition,  or  any  thing  like  it.  And  I  will  fur- 
ther say,  that  I  have  known  horses,  which  no  care  or  exertions 
of  their  grooms  could  get  to  look  or  be  well  in  a  cold  stable  in 
the  winter,  on  their  being  changed  to  a  warm  one,  become  in 
good  condition  in  a  very  short  space  of  time,  without  any  other 
alteration  in  their  management,  either  generally  or  particu- 
larly. I  have  made  something  akin  to  an  analogy  between  a 
man  and  a  horse;  and  a  writer  of  undoubted  experience,  the  late 
Mr.  Apperley,  says,  "there  is  a  striking  one  between  a  horse 
and  a  man,  as  far  as  their  condition  is  concerned.  Each  en- 
ters on  his  training  with  physic,  and  concludes  it  with  severe 
work:  each  is  at  his  best  when  least  reduced  by  sweats:  each 
is  capable  of  doubling  his  ordinary  powers.  The  skin  of  the 
horse  is  also  his  complexion;  and  it  is  not  until  the  prize- 
fighter strips  in  the  ring,  that  his  good  or  bad  condition  is 
ascertained.  Nothing  can  exceed  the  beauty  and  lustre  of 
some  horses'  skins  when  in  what  is  called  <  blooming  condi- 
tion;' on  the  other  hand,  nothing  can  be  more  unsightly,  or 
even  appalling,  than  the  death-like  appearance  of  the  staring 
coat  of  a  half-starved  dog  horse  awaiting  his  fate  in  the  ken- 
nel-orchard on  a  cold  winter's  day." 

I  wish  it  to  be  well  observed,  that  although  I  hold  it  as  ab- 
solutely indispensable,  for  bringing  and  keeping  hunters  in 
condition,  that  their  stables  should  be  kept  hot,  yet  I  know  it 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  39 

is  equally  important  that  there  be  a  vent  for  the  foul  air  to 
escape.  Without  this  the  eyes  and  the  lungs  of  the  horse 
will  suffer,  not  from  the  heat,  but  from  the  impure  and  fetid 
atmosphere.  I  have  gone  into  many  stables  so  unwholesome 
from  want  of  a  pipe,  or  some  mode  of  ventilation,  that  my 
eyes  have  smarted,  and  I  have  felt  all  but  suffocated.  This 
is  not  the  description  of  heat  that  I  recommend  to  be  kept  up; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  I  advise  the  getting-  rid  of  all  such  stench- 
ing  impurity.  In  order  to  keep  the  stable  warm,  healthy,  and 
comfortable,  keep  your  door  and  windows  closed;  have  every 
gap,  broken  or  cracked  panes,  chink,  and  crevice,  stopped;  let 
there  be  an  escape,  over  the  heads  of  the  horses,  for  the  foul 
air;  and  there  will  be  sufficient  of  fresh  admitted  from  the  in- 
gress and  egress  necessary  at  feeding,  dressing,  and  removing 
the  wet  litter,  besides  that  which  will  find  admittance  through 
the  key-hole  and  secret  places.  As  near  as  possible,  the  tem- 
perature should  be  kept  up  to  63°;  and  as  horses  are  never 
safe  when  breathing  contaminated  air,  it  is  necessary,  and  by 
no  means  difficult,  to  have  a  good  circulation  of  fresh  air,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  to  maintain  about  the  above  degree  of  heat. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  for  me  to  say,  that  foul  litter  suf- 
fered to  remain  in  the  stable  is  extremely  prejudicial,  and 
that  .cleanliness  throughout  is  of  the  greatest  importance  for 
health  ;  without  which,  of  course,  there  can  be  no  good  con- 
dition. 

Having  said  all  that  I  consider  necessary  about  the  stable, 
(for  if  the  stalls  be  an  inch  or  two  wider  than  the  common 
run,  or  the  roof  more  lofty,  or  the  mangers  a  little  higher,  or 
the  racks  a  little  lower,  I  deem  these  improvements  and  inno- 
vations in  our  modern  edifices  of  so  trifling  importance,  that 
I  shall  not  farther  notice  them,)  I  will  proceed  with  the  treat- 
ment of  the  horse  previous  to  his  going  to  hounds. 

In  consequence  of  the  pace  that  hounds  now  go,  which 


40  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

amounts  to  racing,  an  empty  stomach  is  necessary ;  or  why  is 
the  muzzle  put  on  the  race-horse?  But  hunters  are  not  to  be 
fed  alike;  and  judgment  must  be  used  even  with  the  same 
horse  when  his  work  varies.  For  instance,  if  he  has  to  go 
a  long  distance  to  cover,  say  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  in  a 
morning,  he  should  have  more  hay  over  night  than  if  he  had 
only  a  third  of  that  journey.  Nothing  is  so  likely  to  make 
horses  in  high  condition  scour,  as  a  change  in  their  food  and 
water:  therefore,  if  the  distance  does  not  exceed  fifteen  miles 
to  meet  hounds,  it  is  better  that  the  horse  be  jogged  there 
gently  on  the  morning  of  his  hunting  than  that  he  should 
sleep  out.  I  will  here  remark,  that  an  easy  slow  trot  is  far 
more  pleasant  and  less  wearisome  than  a  fast  walk,  when  the 
horse  is  either  at  exercise  or  travelling.  If,  however,  he 
must  be  stabled  out,  and  has  proved,  by  precedent,  that  he  is 
affected  by  the  change,  he  should  be  watered  before  he  leave 
home,  and  have  only  a  few  swallows  where  he  sleeps.  As 
to  whether  water  should  be  given  on  the  morning  of  hunting, 
that  must  also  depend  upon  his  constitution.  If  he  is  what 
is  termed  "  washy,"  id  est,  scours  and  throws  his  meat  off  on 
the  road,  I  recommend  his  having  not  a  drop.  But  if  he 
holds  his  food  well  in  him,  and  is  not  called  on,  as  the  pro- 
babilities are  that  he  will  not  be,  until  half  past  ten  or  eleven 
o'clock,  he  may  have,  and  it  will  be  of  benefit  to  him,  eight 
or  ten  "  go-downs,"  as  the  grooms  call  them,  at  five  or  six; 
but  not  later.  This  quantity  of  water  is  always  given  to  the 
race-horse  on  the  morning  that  he  runs  his  race;  and  it  is 
all  absorbed  by  the  time  he  is  taken  to  the  post. 

I  have  heard  and  have  read  of  suppositions  that  the  more 
certain  horses  scoured  on  the  road  to  cover,  the  better  their 
style  of  carrying  their  riders.  All  that  I  have  to  say  in  answer 
is,  that  this  may  be  so;  but  they  must  be  animals  out  of  the 
common  run,  and  considered  as  rare  exceptions  to  the  rule. 
It  must  be  obvious  that  the  less  cause  for  weakness  the  bet- 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  41 

ter,  more  especially  when  on  the  eve  of  hard  and  fast  work ; 
and  as  there  is  nothing  more  debilitating  than  relaxed  bowels, 
the  greater  care  taken  in  preventing  their  becoming  so  the 
better. 

I  have  known  it  recommended  that  a  hunter  should  be 
sweated  and  galloped  on  the  day  before  hunting.  To  that  I 
decidedly  object.  We  do  not  find  the  race-horse  thus  treated 
on  the  day  preceding  his  running;  and,  as  I  stated  at  the 
commencement  of  my  observations  on  the  condition  of  hun- 
ters, the  treatment  of  the  one  is,  and  should  be,  very  like  that 
of  the  other.  It  is  too  late  to  take  any  thing  out  of  the  horse 
at  this  time ;  although  he  should  have  gentle  exercise  of  a 
couple  of  hours  or  so,  and  be  refreshed  by  "  sobs"  of  morn- 
ing air,  on  the  previous  clay. 

We  shall  now,  having  got  our  horse  in  form  to  meet  hounds, 
rifle  our  bag  of  odds  and  ends,  leased  and  gathered  for  the 
purpose  of  learning  the  measures  to  be  adopted  upon  his  re- 
turn home.  I  shall  suppose  that  the  sport  has  been  good, 
and  that,  in  the  long  and  fast  run,  the  noble  horse,  who  would 
strain  himself  to  the  last  gasp,  has  lived  well  with  hounds 
from  end  to  end.  Nature  is  exhausted,  and  he  is  beaten. 
Where  is  now  his  flashing  eye  and  up-reared  crest,  his  dis- 
tended nostrils  and  quivering  nerves?  Does  he  fret  and 
champ  his  bit  with  feverish  expectation,  and  paw  the  earth 
with  outstretched  limbs  ?  Are  his  full-blooded  veins  swollen 
in  his  skin  like  fibres  upon  a  vine  leaf?  No.  His  eyes  are 
dull  and  heavy,  and  he  droops  his  head  between  his  knees, 
and  drags  his  weary  length  along,  with  tucked  up  belly,  and 
without  a  spark  of  fire  remaining. 

It  must  be  clear  that  a  horse  thus  beaten  and  distressed  is 
not  in  a  state  to  be  further  wearied  by  unnecessary  fidgeting 
in  a  long  dressing,  and  making  him  "  Come  over"  twenty 
times  in  his  stall.  The  sooner  he  is  made  as  comfortable  as 


42 

his  fatigue  will  admit  of,  the  better;  and  the  more  ready  the 
means  that  are  applied  to  produce  this,  the  more  advan- 
tageous must  they  of  necessity  be. 

It  will  save  trouble  brushing  the  rough  dirt  off  with  a  birch 
broom,  previously  to  taking  him  into  his  stall.  This  is  but 
the  work  of  a  few  seconds ;  and  it  can  be  done,  if  there  be 
no  shed  at  hand,  even  at  the  stable  door.  Then  bid  the 
horse  enter  with  a  welcome ;  ungirth  his  saddle,  but  do  not 
remove  it  for  some  minutes ;  throw  a  cloth  over  him,  and  let 
him  suck  up  half  a  pail  of  warm  gruel.  Then  wash  his  legs, 
feet,  belly,  sheath,  thighs,  and  every  under  part  of  him,  with 
hot  water.  Nothing  is  more  grateful  to  the  horse  than  this, 
after  severe  work  ;  as,  indeed,  his  master  may  have  experi- 
enced, after  a  hard  day's  snipe  shooting  on  a  cold  frosty  day, 
in  a  wet  moor  or  bog.  Then  rub  him  well  with  a  large 
sponge  and  two  or  three  dry  flannels,  and  swathe  his  limbs 
up  to  the  knees  and  hocks  with  bandages.  He  should  then 
be  rubbed  down,  and  his  head  and  ears  got  dry ;  but  there 
is  no  occasion  to  stand  over  him  until  every  part  of  his  body 
is  so,  as  this  may  occupy  a  longer  space  of  time  than  should 
elapse  previous  to  his  having  corn,  and  enjoying  that  refresh- 
ment from  repose  which  his  fatigued  state  demands.  He  then 
should  be  turned  into  a  loose  box,  with  straw  littered  well  up 
to  his  belly  ;  and  a  feed  of  corn  should  be  given  to  him, — 
but  not  a  large  one,  as  his  appetite  will  not  likely  be  keen, 
and  he  will  only  blow,  upon  a  large  quantity.  His  groom 
should  visit  him  again  in  about  a  couple  of  hours,  take  off 
his  bandages,  hand-rub  and  wisp  his  legs,  put  on  fresh  ban- 
dages, lightly  brush  his  head  and  body,  wisp  and  rub  him 
with  cloths  until  he  be  perfectly  dry,  should  there  be  still 
patches  of  moisture  about  him,  and  put  on  fresh  rugs.  Three 
parts  of  a  pail,  or  indeed  a  full  one,  will  do  him  no  harm  if 
he  likes  it,  of  luke-warm  water.  A  large  warm  mash  with  a 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  43 

feed  of  oats  in  it,  and  a  handful  of  hay  thrown  into  his  rack? 
will  render  him  as  comfortable  as  his  rider  stretched  upon  a 
sofa,  slippered  and  robed,  before  a  blazing  yule  log,  looking, 
with  a  smile  upon  his  longing  lips,  at  the  bee's- wing  floating 
in  his  glass  of  good  old  ruby  bright;  the  reigning  silence 
broken  only  by  the  sharp  crack  of  the  walnuts  which  his  gay- 
hearted,  pretty  wife  is  industriously  peeling  and  preparing  as 
a  zest  to  the  wine.  God  bless  both  her  and  him!  for  she 
loves  him  for  his  deeds  of  gallant  daring,  like  a  true  English 
Sportsman's  wife;  and  he  loves  her,  that  she  doth  listen  to 
them. 

Before  quitting  this  important  division  upon  the  treatment 
of  the  hunter,  I  will  add  what  I  think  the  best  means  to  adopt 
when  he  returns  home  in  a  particularly  exhausted  state; 
when  his  appetite  entirely  fails,  and  he  is  over  anxious  for 
nothing  but  his  water;  no-  quantity  of  which  would  slake  the 
fever  and  inflammation  burning  within.  In  addition  to  this 
greediness  for  water, — for  it  does  not  follow,  that  because  he 
is  desirous  for  potations  deep,  he  is  in  a  condition  to  require 
more  than  ordinary  care, — his  pulse  will  be  found  quick  and 
unequal,  and  a  noise  will  be  heard  with  his  respiration.  The 
inside  of  his  eyelids  may  also  be  found  to  be  inflamed  ;  and, 
if  so,  a  gallon  of  blood  should  be  let  from  him  without  delay. 
But  I  am  strongly  opposed  to  the  letting  of  blood,  except 
when  the  symptoms  of  inflammation  are  such  as  to  leave  no 
doubt  upon  the  expediency  of  the  measure.  Great  debility 
must  necessarily  ensue,  if  a  vein  be  opened :  as  it  is  from 
exhaustion  that  the  fever  arises ;  and  taking  blood  must,  in 
the  end,  and  for  a  time,  increase  the  debility.  Good  judg- 
ment, therefore,  should  be  exercised  previously  to  using  the 
fleam  ;  and  it  is  by  no  means  to  be  applied  unless  the  case  is 
clearly  one  of  emergency.  Generally  speaking,  strong  stimu- 
lants must  be  administered  without  bleeding.  An  ounce  of 
5 


44  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

salt  of  hartshorn  (carbonate  of  ammonia)  will  be  found  a  capi- 
tal pectoral  ball ;  and  two  ounces  of  nitre  in  three  parts  of  a 
pail  of  tepid  water  should  be  given  him.  Let  him  have  a 
large  loose  cold  mash  with  no  corn  in  it,  and  as  much  gruel 
as  he  likes  to  drink.  No  treatment  can  be  more  grateful  to 

o 

him  than  this:  but  should  he  still  appear  to  sink,  repeat  the 
pectoral  ball,  and  give  him  a  pint  of  hot  spiced  ale,  and  throw 
open  the  door  and  window  of  his  box.  Remember  that  he 
cannot  be  kept  too  coo/,  under  such  circumstances.  If  the 
quick  action  of  the  heart  do  not  now  abate,  administer  a  clys- 
ter of  warm  gruel ;  draw  some  more  blood,  and  blister  him 
sharply  behind  the  elbows.  And  then,  in  the  event  of  his 
life  flickering  out,  I  think  all  has  been  done  within  the  power 
of  man  to  save  it. 

I  cannot  but  repeat,  however,  the  great  necessity  for  the 
exercise  of  discretion  in  the  use  of  the  fleam,  when  a  horse 
is,  as  the  grooms  call  it,  "over-marked."  For  his  relief,  in 
ninety-nine  cases  out  of  every  hundred,  strong  stimulants  are 
required  ;  and  unless  there  be  indubitable  symptoms  of  dan- 
gerous inflammation,  which  can  be  known  by  the  increased 
action  of  the  heart  and  arteries,  and  by  examining  the  inside 
of  the  eyelid,  blood  must  not  be  let.  It  was  formerly,  and 
it  is  now,  a  too  general  practice  to  resort  to  bleeding,  when 
horses  evince  more  than  an  ordinary  degree  of  distress  ;  and 
many  persons  imagine  that,  as  an  inflammatory  action  must 
attend  it,  stimulants  are  improper.  This,  however,  is  quite 
a  mistaken  notion.  Expiring  nature  wants  assistance  in  the 
regaining  of  her  strength  ;  and  the  reducing  or  repellant  sys- 
tem must  only  be  resorted  to  when  the  pressure  upon  the 
lungs,  from  the  greatly  increased  action  of  the  heart  and 
arteries,  is  such  as  to  render  such  a  course  indispensable. 

Before  concluding  this  chapter,  I  must  say,  that  although 
I  strongly  recommend  the  use  of  cordials,  when  the  animal 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  45 

functions  have  been  so  hurried  that  the  fatigue  amounts  to 
exhaustion,  it  is  far  from  wise  to  give  them  upon  every  trifling 
occasion.  I  have  known,  when  a  horse  has  refused  his  feed, 
that  his  groom  has  immediately  given  him  a  cordial  ball ; 
whereas  an  alterative  one,  or  perhaps  none,  was  wanted. 
This  frequent  and  needless  stimulating  of  the  stomach  is  not 
unlike  the  injudicious  application  of  drachms  of  ardent  spirits 
to  the  human  body.  Medicinally,  and  upon  occasions,  a 
swallow  of  good  brandy  is  of  the  very  greatest  benefit :  but, 
let  a  man  make  it  a  rule  to  have  recourse  to  the  mingling 
"  of  rebellious  liquors  with  his  blood"  whenever  he  feels  a 
little  wearied  and  "  off  his  feed,"  and  he  will  quickly  dis- 
cover how  detrimental  to  his  constitution  is  the  abuse,  instead 
of  the  use,  of  stimulants. 


46  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 


CHAPTER   HI. 


THE  CONDITION    OF    HUNTERS    CONTINUED. THE   SYSTEM  TO  BE 

OBSERVED    WHEN    HUNTING    CEASES. OBJECTIONS    TO    BEING 

TURNED  OUT  AT  GRASS,  &C.,  &C. 

I  have  now  arrived  at  that  stage  which  leaves  me,  for  the 
conclusion  of  my  observations  upon  the  Hunter,  to  state  the 
most  approved  method  to  be  observed  with  him  at  the  ter- 
mination of  the  hunting  season. 

As  every  body  knows,  who  ever  kept  a  stud  of  "  flyers," 
his  horses  are  in  far  finer  condition  on  the  last  day  of  the 
Meet,  than  they  were  in  on  the  first.  The  long  course  of 
hard  meat  that  they  have  had,  the  care  taken  of  their  health, 
exercise,  work,  and  general  economy  ;  have,  collectively  and 
respectively,  combined  to  render  them  so.  They  are  now 
strong  in  work,  and  high  in  flesh  ;  which  is  the  state  of  per- 
fection that  a  hunter  should  be  in.  It  would  of  course  be 
truly  desirable,  and  an  infinity  of  pains  and  trouble  would  be 
saved,  if  this  condition,  which  has  cost  so  much  labour  and 
time,  could  be  maintained  as  it  is,  until  the  succeeding  season  : 
but  this,  it  is  needless  to  say,  is  impossible.  All  things  must 
have  rest. ;  and  to  the  universal  decree  acting  throughout 
nature,  from  the  flower  to  the  oak,  from  the  worm  to  man, 
there  are  times  appointed  for  inaction  and  repose. 

How  often  have  I  heard  the  owner  of  a  horse  say,  in  reply 
to  an  observation  that  he  looked  somewhat  stale  on  his  legs, 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  47 

"  Yes,  he  does :  but  when  the  season  's  over,  I  shall  give 
him  a  summer's  run  at  grass ;  and  then  he'll  come  up  all 
fresh  again."  Thou  sapient  Nimrod  !  Hence  to  thy  library, 
and  refer  to  Johnson's  Dictionary  for  the  two  monosyllables 
run  and  rest,  and  let  the  difference  of  their  signification  be 
well  grafted  in  thy  memory.  Give  him  a  summer's  rest,  by 
every  plea  that  humanity  and  a  proper  estimation  of  your 
horse's  value  can  suggest :  but  do  not  think  for  a  moment  of 
extending  your  well-meant,  but  ill-timed  and  ill-judged  kind- 
ness, in  mistaking  for  this  rest  a  run  at  grass. 

To  a  hunter,  whose  legs  must  feel  the  effects  of  his  sea- 
son, it  is  obvious  that  he  cannot  improve  them  by  use  or 
further  labour.  On  the  contrary,  the  less  he  is  obliged  or 
permitted  lo  wear  them,  the  more  likely  are  they  to  become 
free  from  the  injuries  they  have  received.  Now,  if  he  is 
turned  out  at  grass  for  this  season  designed  for  his  repose,  I 
think  that  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  show  that  he  will  be  de- 
prived of  at  least  nine-tenths  intended  for  his  especial  benefit. 
In  the  first  place,  when  he  feeds,  which,  as  the  horse  is  a 
greedy  animal,  will  occupy  by  far  the  greater  number  of  his 
hours,  he  is  compelled,  from  the  position  he  must  put  himself 
into,  to  throw  the  entire  weight  of  his  body  into  his  fore 
legs,  and  strain  and  stretch  upon  them,  the  whole  time  that 
he  is  feeding.  This  great  stress  upon  them  must  of  course 
prove  prejudicial,  and  is  one  of  the  evils  desired  to  be 
avoided.  It  can  scarcely  have  escaped  the  notice  of  the 
most  casual  observer,  too,  how  ceaseless  is  the  pawing  and 
stamping  of  the  horse  throughout  the  heat  of  a  long  and 
sultry  summer's  day.  Goaded  and  stung  by  multitudes  of 
flies,  he  seeks  the  shade  of  the'most  inviting  tree,  and  there 
he  continues  in  perpetual  motion ;  first  stamping  one  foot 
and  then  the  other  upon  the  hard  and  unyielding  earth.  In 
addition  to  the  injury  that  he  must  derive  from  this  uninter- 

5* 


4S 

mitting  action,  caused  by  ceaseless  torments,  he  frequently, 
from  freak  or  fear,  gallops  as  fast  as  he  can  go,  and  leaps 
over  hurdles,  bars,  and  ditches  that  may  chance  to  be  in  his 
course.  Then  there  is  the  hunt,  either  to  catch  or  to  drive 
him  back  to  the  enclosure  again;  all  of  which  comes  strictly 
under  the  head  of  "  a  summer's  run.''  The  evening  and 
morning  dews  are  decidedly  favourable  to  the  feet  of  horses  ; 
but  whatever  advantages  are  to  be  derived  from  them  can 
be  had  in  a  more  favourable  method,  taking  the  whole  of 
the  circumstances  into  consideration ;  which  I  shall  arrive 
at,  in  the  order  of  my  arrangement. 

If  the  likelihood  of  the  legs  and  feet  of  the  hunter  being 
in  no  way  improved  by  his  being  turned  out  at  grass  were 
the  only  objection  to  the  system,  it  might  be  answered,  per- 
haps, by  saying  that  they  are  sure  to  be  knocked  about, 
bruised,  and  be  full  of  contusions,  bangs,  and  blows;  and 
therefore  they  are  not  to  be  considered  in  comparison  with 
the  benefit  that  his  constitution  will  receive.  I  maintain, 
however,  that  his  constitution,  instead  of  being  benefited, 
will  also  be  materially  injured.  A  great  many  of  the  dis- 
eases in  horses  are  caused  by  plethora ;  and  when  they  can 
gorge  themselves  with  grass,  which  they  always  do,  there 
is  no  more  likely  cause  for  diseases  of  various  kinds  than  an 
uncontrolled  power  of  swallowing  as  much  as  they  think 
proper.  It  was  formerly  supposed  that  spring  grass  acted 
as  a  purgative ;  but  I  believe  the  march  of  intellect  has  ren- 
dered this  error  completely  obsolete ;  and  that,  when  horses 
are  subjected  to  the  pains  and  penalties  of  a  summer's  run 
at  grass,  they,  as  a  preliminary,  are  well  prepared  with 
physic ;  it  being  positively  certain,  that  if  they  go  out  foul, 
they  will  come  up  still  more  so.  At  grass,  horses  invariably 
become  full  in  flesh  and  heavy  in  the  barrel.  This  is  not 
only  from  the  great  quantity  of  juicy  food  they  devour,  but 


ON  THfi  CONDITION  OP  HUNTERS.  49 

also  from  the  sudden  stop  to  the  evacuations,  by  sweating  and 
other  means  that  are  resorted  to  when  in  work.  Extremes 
are  proverbially  admitted  to  be  bad;  and  it  must  be  obvious 
that  very  great  ones  are  resorted  to,  between  keeping  an 
animal  eight  months  in  the  year  in  a  hot  stable,  and  in  an 
almost  equal  temperature,  and  exposing  him,  during  the 
other  four  months,  to  the  varying  hent  of  noontide,  and  the 
chilling  influence  of  the  nights.  The  arterial  system  must 
be  both  increased  and  checked  ;  and  thus  inflammation  often 
attacks  those  organs  which  are  most  sensitive  to  such  mis- 
chievous exposure  to  the  great  opposites  of  heat  and  cold. 
I  have  heard  grooms  speak  of  their  horses  having  "grass 
coughs;"  I  should  like  to  have  it  explained  to  me,  how  the 
grass  could  occasion  the  cough.  The  fact  is,  it  is  incipient 
inflammation  of  the  lungs;  which  frequently  ends  in  broken 
wind,  produced  by  the  extremes  of  temperature.  And  thus 
we  find  horses  generally  begin  to  cough  when  they  are  first 
housed  from  grass. 

The  load  of  bad  flesh  that  a  hunter  acquires  in  this  state, 
has  as  an  indispensable  to  his  being  brought  into  condition 
again,  to  be  taken  off  by  physic  and  sweating,  at  the  extra- 
vagant expense  of  his  legs.  And  I  defy  any  treatment  within 
human  ingenuity  to  put  him  into  the  condition  between 
taking  him  from  grass  in  the  middle  or  by  the  20th  of  July 
and  the  1st  of  November,  that  he  was  in  when  he  took  his 
last  gallop  at  the  finish  of  the  preceding  season.  As  I  have 
said  before,  or  I  ought  to  have  said,  time  it  must  take,  not- 
withstanding all  the  care  and  good  treatment  that  can  be 
adopted,  to  bring  a  hunter  into  blooming  condition.  It  is 
useless  to  think  otherwise;  and  we  have  but  to  refer  to  the 
race-horse,  to  know  the  correctness  of  the  allegation.  With 
trainers,  this  is  so  indisputable,  that  it  is  never  attempted ; 
and,  were  it  proposed  to  take  a  horse  from  grass  to  their 


50  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

stables,  to  be  brought  into  running  condition  within  three 
months  or  fourteen  weeks,  they  would  laugh  (civilly  in  their 
sleeves,)  at  the  futile  instructions.     Then,  as  the  hunter's 
condition  should  be  quite  as  perfect,  and  but  little  different, 
how  is  it  practicable  to  bring  him  to  the  covert  side  in  that 
high  state  of  health  and  vigour  which  his  modern  style  of 
work  demands,  unless  sufficient  time  be  accorded?     With 
all  the  regularity  and  perfection  of  treatment  that  experience 
can  suggest,  a  trainer  knows  that  he  cannot  bring  a  horse 
"  up  to  the  mark  "  to  the  post,  unless  he  has  nearly  as  many 
months  to  do  it  in  as  the  head  groom  has  weeks  to  make  his 
horse  meet  hounds,  from  the  time  of  taking  him  from  grass 
to  the  end  of  October.     The  pace  when  going  is  nearly  the 
same  as  the  racer's ;  and  the  only  chance  that  can  enable  a 
hunter  to  continue  it,  is  the  relief  he  gets  by  being  pulled  at 
his  fences,  and  the  checks  it  is  to  be  hoped  he  will  have  in 
a  long  and  fleet  run.     If,  therefore,  the  work  of  a  hunter  is 
so  much  like  the  work  of  the  race-horse,  the  treatment  for 
that  work  should  be  in  great  measure  similar;  or  it  must  be 
confessed  that  he  has  not  had  fair  play. 

Chiefly  on  account  of  the  condition  which  must  be  lost,  I 
object  to  the  turning  of  hunters  out  at  large  at  grass;  although 
I  have  stated,  as  a  further  objection,  the  injury,  instead  of  be- 
nefit, that  may,  and  probably  will,  arise  to  their  legs  and  feet. 
At  the  same  time  it  may  be  indispensable  to  turn  them  out, 
under  certain  circumstances;  as,  in  the  event  of  it  being  ne- 
cessary to  blister  or  fire  them;  but  even  in  that  case  they 
should  not  be  left  out  during  the  day;  and  then  not  in  a  wide 
enclosure,  where  they  will  be  induced  to  race,  and  in  which 
there  is  an  abundance  of  grass:  for  it  is  not  the  grass  that  is 
wanted,  but  the  damp  and  moisture  to  their  feet,  and  the 
bracing  effects  of  the  pure  air.  With  respect  to  giving  a 
hunter,  stale  on  his  legs,  and  knocked  about,  a  Hunter's  run, 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  51 

I  hold  a  very  different  opinion.  The  very  greatest  benefit 
will  accrue  from  such  treatment;  and  frequently  I  have  seen 
a  horse,  that  had  scarcely  a  leg-  to  stand  upon,  come  up  as 
fresh  as  a  three-year-old,  after  a  respite  from  exertion  in  a 
straw-yard.  This,  however,  is  by  no  means  a  parallel  case, 
as  it  rather  refers  to  the  class  of  "screws,"  than  the  animal 
it  is  my  present  duty  and  pleasure  to  dwell  upon, 

It  now  becomes  necessary,  having-  said  what  1  would  not 
do,  to  state  what  I  would  do,  with  a  hunter,  at  the  conclusion 
of  the  season.  In  the  first  place,  he  should  be  turned  into  a 
loose  box;  have  his  shoes  taken  off;  ami  his  feet  well  pared 
and  rasped,  so  as  to  let  his  frogs  weM  down,  and  tips  be  put 
on  in  the  stead  of  his  shoes.  By  degrees,  his  corn  should  be 
diminished;  and,  after  preparing  him  for  a  couple  of  days  with 
mashes,  he  should  have  two  gentle  doses  of  physic,  of  five 
drachms  or  five  and  a  half  of  aloes;  but  this  will  depend  on 
the  constitution  of  the  horse;  some  being  far  more  capable  of 
bearing  severe  doses  than  others  are.  After  this,  you  will 
quickly  discover  whether  there  are  any  callous  substances  on 
the  sinews  or  the  tendons;  as,  if  there  are  not,  his  legs  will 
become  as  fine  as  can  be  expected  after  the  work  they  have 
done  or  the  bruises  and  injuries  they  may  have  received.  The 
examination  should  be  very  minute;  as  in  the  first  stages  liga- 
mentary  enlargements  will  yield  to  mild  means,  instead  of  vio- 
lent remedies  being  necessarily  resorted  to,  in  case  of  procras- 
tination. To  ascertain  the  cause,  if  it  be  possible  to  do  so,  is 
the  first  step  to  be  taken;  and  there  should  be  no  speculation 
or  experiments  upon  the  matter.  If  the  groom  doubts  and  his 
master  hesitates,  let  an  umpire  be  called  in,  to  decide  the  ques- 
tion, in  the  shape  of  an  accomplished  veterinary  surgeon. — 
Should  there  be  a  probability  that  a  blister  will  remove  the 
blemish,  it  should  always  be  applied,  in  preference  to  the 


52  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

iron.  I  am  far  from  being  an  advocate  of  firing",  except  when 
the  blister  is  or  will  be  of  no  avail.  The  effects  of  the  latter 
are  of  a  temporary  nature,  and  soon  wear  out;  but  those  from 
the  actual  cautery  are  of  a  permanent  kind,  and,  besides  be- 
ing- unsightly,  greatly  tend  to  reduce  his  marketable  value, 
although  it  may  not  the  intrinsic  one  to  his  owner. 

To  his  loose  house  or  shed,  there  should  be  an  area  of 
about  forty  square  yards ;  with  a  barrier  of  high  and  thick 
fagots,  so  as  that  he  neither  can  see  through  nor  over  them. 
This  will  keep  him  quiet,  and  make  him  satisfied  with  his 
limited  boundary.  For  all  purposes  of  exercising  himself, 
this  space  is  ample ;  and  he  will  not  be  disposed,  nor  indeed 
be  able,  to  wear  and  tear  his  legs  to  pieces,  as  he  would  do 
in  a  wider  enclosure.  As  to  the  moisture  he  should  get  to 
his  feet,  it  can  be  far  more  regularly  applied  to  them.,  in  the 
shape  of  stopping  with  cow-dung  and  clay,  three  times  in 
the  course  of  a  week,  than  that  which  they  will  receive  from 
the  dew,  in  his  summer's  run  at  large.  I  have  read  about 
the  hoof  contracting  in  oil,  and  expanding  in  water:  but 
neither  oil  nor  water  are  required :  it  is  moisture,  and  not 
wet  that  is  wanted.  The  latter,  so  far  from  being  benefi- 
cial to  the  feet  of  horses,  is  really  injurious ;  although  I  have 
heard  of  studs,  under  the  superintendence  of  some  sages  of 
old,  doomed  to  stand,  by  means  of  high  leathern  boots,  in 
the  watery  element,  like  the  Hippopotami,  for  many  long 
hours  through  successive  days.  Another  simple  means  of 
applying  moisture  to  the  feet,  so  essential  at  this  season,  is 
the  throwing  a  sufficient  quantity  of  clay  on  the  floor  of  a 
shed,  (or  any  place  that  can  be  conveniently  spared  and 
where  it  can  remain,)  so  as  to  cover  it  for  four  inches  in 
depth;  and  casting  a  few  pails  of  water  over  it,  so  as  to  ob- 
tain a  proper  consistency  for  the  purpose  wanted.  Here  h,Q 


ON   THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  53 

can  be  placed  for  two  or  three  hours,  twice  or  three  times  in 
a  week;  and  the  clay  has  only  to  be  freshly  watered,  upon 
the  successive  times  of  "soiling  him." 

It  must  not  be  supposed,  from  my  foregoing  observations, 
however,  that  I  am  adverse  to  giving  hunters  green  food  in 
the  summer.  On  the  contrary,  I  know  how  essential  it  is  for 
them  to  have  it  in  limited  quantities :  but,  for  a  horse  to  be 
allowed  to  devour  as  much  as  his  appetite  may  dictate,  is 
as  impolitic  as  it  would  be  to  permit  him  to  blow  himself 
out  at  the  corn  bin  on  the  morning  of  his  going  to  meet 
hounds.  Grass  should  be  cut  and  given  to  him  with  his 
hay;  and  a  few  bundles  of  fresh  vetches  will  be  cooling,  if 
they  are  not  in  pod.  In  that  case,  they  should  not  be  given. 
By  these  means,  any  quantity  of  green  food  can  be  allow- 
anced; and  with  his  hay  and  corn  (which  allhough  it  should 
be  greatly  diminished  in  quantity,  ought  not,  and  must  not, 
under  this  system,  be  taken  entirely  from  him,)  instead  of 
being  thrown  completely  out  of  condition,  and  a  large 
amount  of  loose,  unwholesome  flesh  gained  only  to  be 
worked  oft'  at  the  cost  of  his  legs  and  by  purgatives,  very 
little  attention  will  bring  him  again  into  that  blooming  state 
which  he  was  in  at  the  termination  of  his  work.  As  to  the 
quantity  of  corn  to  be  given  to  a  hunter,  when  thus  taking 
his  summer's  rest,  instead  of  a  summer's  run;  I  have  never 
given  more  nor  less  than  two  full  feeds. 

It  should  be  remembered,  by  those  who  feel  inclined  to 
save  their  purses  at  the  expense  of  the  condition  of  their 
horses,  and  who  are  disposed  to  curtail  them  of  their  hard 
meat,  so  as  to  reduce  the  amount  of  the  corn-chandler's 
bjii^ — that  the  saving  in  the  end  is  so  trifling,  that  I  think 
the  balance, — taking  into  consideration  the  distress  of  their 
horses  at  the  beginning  of  the  hunting  season,  the  want  o ' 
safety  which  this  distress  occasions,  (for  a  blown  horse  can- 


54 

not  face  "  a  yawner,"  except  at  fearful  odds,)  and  the  great 
damp  to  the  pleasure  in  finding  your  hunter  in  a  froth  and  a 
foam  with  no  wind  in  his  sails, — will  be  found  greatly  against 
them. 

In  many  points,  and  material  ones  too,  I  differ  with  the 
late  Mr.  Apperley  (so  well  known,  and  so  justly  appreciated 
by  the  best  sportsmen  of  the  day,  under  the  signature  of 
"  Niinrod,")  upon  the  condition  of  hunters.  Whether  he  is 
right  and  I  am  wrong,  or  the  reverse,  I  must  in  all  humility 
leave  to  the  decision  of  those  who  may  sit  in  judgment  upon 
our  respective  opinions.  But  in  the  policy  of  treating  the 
hunter  at  the  end  of  the  season,  and  for  the  summer,  I  agree 
with  him  to  the  letter.  Indeed,  were  I  not  subjecting  myself 
to  the  charge  of  plagiarism,  I  would  copy  verbatim^  every 
line  that  he  has  written  in  his  voluminous  work,  upon  this 
particular  and  important  branch  of  the  subject.  To  quote, 
however,  a  few  lines  from  his  book : — He  says,  in  speaking 
of  the  comparative  expense  of  summering  horses  as  I  have 
before  described,  which  agrees  with  his  own  system,  or  nearly 
so,  that  *'  when  in,  work,  six  horses  in  my  stable  ate  exactly 
three  hundred  weight  of  hay  per  week :  but  in  these  large 
loose  places,  allowing  for  waste  and  better  appetites,  we  will 
give  them  nearly  double  the  quantity,  and  say,  six  horses 
shall  eat  six  hundred  weight  per  week. 

Two  tons  five  cwt..  of  hay  at  £4  per  ton,  ....  £9  0  0 
Seventy-one  bushels  of  oats  at  4s.  per  bushel,  ...  14  4  0 
Beans, »  ^  ,  ...  ^  ....  1  10  0 


£24  14     0 
Six  horses  at  grass  nine  weeks  at  four  shillings  per 

week  for  each  horse, .     ^glO  16     0 


Difference,    ...,».,.*..     £13  18     0 


ON    THE    CONDITION    OF    HUNTERS.  55 

Thus  it  appears  that  the  difference  in  the  expense  of  six  horses 
summered  in  the  house,  and  six  horses  summered  in  the 
field,  only  amounts,  after  all,  to  £13,  18s.  At  least  twice 
that  amount  would  be  realized,  in  the  value  of  any  one  of  the 
horses,  if  he  were  exposed  to  sale  at  the  commencement  of 
the  following  hunting  season. " 


56  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


THE     CONDITION    OF    HUNTERS    CONTINUED. — THEIR    FEET, 
SHOEING,  &C.,  &C. 

"  LET  a  man  mount  a  favourite  hobby  and  he  will  ride  his 
tail  off',"  says  the  old  saw  ;  and,  perhaps,  mine  already  begins 
to  shake  with  the  work.  However,  to  the  end  of  the  designed 
journey  he  must  go,  let  the  result  be  what  it  may  to  his  ter- 
minus. 

I  have  now  stated  the  course  that  I  believe  to  be  the  best 
to  be  followed  in  breeding  the  hunter,  breaking  him,  getting 
him  into  condition,  keeping  him  in  it,  his  treatment  previous 
to  meeting  hounds,  and  upon  his  return  home  ;  the  general 
rules  to  be  observed  with  him  in  the  stable,  and  the  most  ad- 
vantageous method  of  giving  him  his  summer's  rest.  I  shall 
now  treat  upon  those  details  connected  with  the  horse,  which, 
if  not  strictly  coming  under  the  head  of  his  condition,  are  so  far 
blelnded  with  his  general  good,  that  without  attention  to  them 
it  is  quite  impossible  to  have  him  from  hoof  to  crest  as  he 
should  be  in  all  respects. 

There  is  nothing  more  essential  to  a  horse  who  is  wanted 
to  go  safely  and  well,  than  great  care  and  attention  to  his  feet. 
However  good  he  may  be,  however  perfect  his  symmetry,  he 
will  be  of  comparatively  little  value  unless  his  feet  be  healthy 
and  sound.  It  is  quite  true  that  a  few  hunters  who  cannot 
go  upon  the  road,  in  consequence  of  injuries  to  their  feet, 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  57 

corns,  inflammation,  contractions,  and  other  evils,  shine  like 
meteors  in  the  field  ;  and  these  "  detrimentals"  are  of  no  great 
hinderance,  or  perhaps  no  hinderance  at  all,  to  their  living 
well  with  hounds :  still  it  must  be  obvious  that  the  marlceta- 
ble  value  is  much  deteriorated  by  these  effects;  and  it  is  very 
desirable,  for  many  reasons,  to  prevent  their  occurrence  by 
every  care  and  attention. 

The  hoof  of  a  horse,  from  its  beautiful  and  delicate  forma- 
tion, and  the  continued  wear,  pressure,  and  bruising  to  which 
it  is  constantly  being  subjected,  should  be  treated  at  all  times 
and  under  all  circumstances  with  the  greatest  skill  and  good 
management ;  whereas,  generally  speaking,  it  is  subjected  to 
the  most  consummate  ignorance  on  the  one  hand,  and  little 
or  no  regulation  on  the  other.  For  the  blacksmith,  in  ninety 
and  nine  cases  out  of  every  hundred,  knows  nothing  what- 
ever of  the  anatomy  of  the  foot;  but  he  takes  his  butteris 
and  pares  down  the  hoof  and  frog,  biands  the  red-hot  shoe  in 
the  place  it  is  to  be  fixed  in,  and  makes  the  hoof  fit  the  shoe* 
He  knows,  too,  for  he  has  been  told,  and  he  saw  during  the 
term  of  his  apprenticeship,  that  his  master  was  careful  to  avoid 
driving  in  the  nails  up  the  hoof,  and  that  he  must  bring  the 
points  out  within  a  certain  line,  or  that  there  will  be  a  likelihood 
of  his  pricking  the  horse  :  but  what  is  pricked  in  an  accident  of 
this  kind,  he  knows  no  more  than  a  solution  of  the  problems 
in  Euclid.  Grooms  also  are  strangely  neglectful  in  the  ma- 
nagement of  the  feet  of  their  horses.  They  know  wrhen  a 
horse  has  disease,  from  his  going  lame  ;  and  they  will  oblige 
their  masters  with  the  earliest  information  of  the  effect ;  but 
the  cause  (in  many  instances  the  result  of  their  own  neglect,) 
they  neither  think  of  nor  inquire  into. 

In  all  evils  it  must  be  admitted  that  that  system  is  most  de- 
sirable that  teaches  the  method  of  preventing  their  arrival 
rather  than  the  one  calculated  to  eject  them  after  possession. 


58 

Now,  my  object, — and  I  flatter  myself  with  the  confidence 
that  I  shall  gain  it, — is,  to  submit  the  treatment  in  this  particu- 
lar and  exquisite  part  of  the  horse  that  will  ensure  a  preven- 
tative  to  disease  and  local  injuries,  as  far  as  it  is  possible  for 
care  and  attention  so  to  do. 

In  the  first  place,  we  shall  see  what  the  hoof  of  a  horse 
should  be,  to  rank  under  the  head  of  perfection.  It  should 
be  full  in  the  front,  large  and  circular ;  the  frogs  should  be 
elastic  and  free,  and  the  bars  well  brought  out.  There  should 
be  neither  crevice,  crack,  seam,  nor  rib  on  the  external  sur- 
face ;  which  should  be  of  a  dark  shining  colour.  But  it  must 
not  be  supposed  that,  because  a  horse  possesses  this  capital 
foot,  he  can  never  be  subjected  to  disease;  although  he  is  not 
nearly  so  likely  to  become  lame  as  if  he  had  a  narrow  contract- 
ed hoof,  high  heels,  and  hard  unyielding  frogs.  Good  feet, 
therefore,  should  not  be  neglected  by  reason  of  their  excel- 
lence ;  as  it  matters  but  little  whether  they  be  well-shaped  or 
not,  when  disease  becomes  confirmed  and  settled  in  them  • 
for  when  it  is  so,  no  skill,  care,  nor  judgment  can  eradicate  it. 

I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  disease  cannot  be  checked  and 
stopped  in  its  primary  and  incipient  stages;  but,  when  once  dis- 
ease has  taken  root,  soundness  can  never  be  regained.  I  should 
here  state,  that  as  a  horse  possessing  finely  shaped  feet  is  not 
free  from  the  likelihood  of  disease,  it  does  not  follow  that  one 
having  them  badly  formed  must  necessarily  presume  disease, 
I  had  a  horse  with  small  contracted  feet,  with  little  frogs  as 
hard  as  brick-bats  ;  and  I  hunted  him  for  four  successive  sea- 
sons, without  his  knowing  what  it  was  to  limp  an  inch,  from 
any  cause  whatever.  I  account  for  this,  by  supposing  that 
Nature  \\z<\formed  them  in  this  model,  and  that  neither  disease, 
bad  shoeing,  nor  neglect  of  any  kind,  had  any  thing  to  do 
with  these  mal-formed  feet.  It  is  true  that  I  had  great  care 
taken  of  them  ;  as  they  carried  me  many  a  fast  mile,  and  over 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  51 

"  yawners"  that  made  my  gorge  rise  as  he  lifted  me  at  them  ; 
but  not  greater  care  than  I  have  had  bestowed  upon  every  horse 
that  I  have  yet  been  master  of.  We  have  but  to  look  at  the 
small  frogless  hoofs  of  that  humble  cropper  of  thistles,  the  pa- 
tient ass,  to  know  that  an  animal  without  a  full  circular  foot 
may  go  safely  and  sound,  when  it  is  designed  by  Nature  that 
he  should  do  so. 

As  I  have  previously  said,  the  shape  of  the  foot  in  the  horse 
is  a  good  criterion  of  the  chances  against  his  becoming  lame 
from  disease:  but  it  does  not  follow  that  he  must  escape  them. 
We  will  therefore  dive  into  the  measures  to  be  resorted  to,  in 
all  instances,  however  good  and  faultless  the  form  may  be. 

In  the  first  place,  I  will  treat  of  the  principal  causes  of  foot- 
lameness.  In  the  front  rank  stands  thz  pace  that  horses  are 
rattled  at,  upon  hard  ground.  Nothing  is  so  detrimental  to 
the  feet  as  hard  ground  ;  and  a  stage  upon  the  road,  at  the 
rate  of  twelve  miles  per  hour,  produces  greater  concussion, 
and  consequently  greater  injury,  than  galloping  a  horse  twice 
the  distance  upon  the  turf,  when  in  a  soft  and  pliant  state.  It 
sometimes  happens  that  gentlemen,  from  choice,  and  not  un- 
frequently  from  necessity,  ride  at  speed  along  hard  roads  and 
lanes,  when  endeavouring  to  ride  to  hounds  ;  and  then  it  is 
that  mischief  is  done  to  the  feet.  Excitement,  from  high 
feeding  without  judicious  exercise  and  a  liberal  use  of  alter- 
atives, is  another  cause  of  foot-lameness.  Inflammation  set- 
tles in  the  hoof;  and  this  contracts  it ;  but  the  contraction  is 
the  effect,  not  the  cause  of  the  lameness.  If  a  horse  be  per- 
mitted to  stand  on  wet  litter,  or  if  his  feet  be  not  regularly 
and  properly  cleansed  from  muck,  heat  must  be  engendered  ; 
and  nothing  is  more  likely  to  create  fever  in  them.  Bad 
shoeing  is  often  the  origin  of  the  destruction  of  the  hoof:  I  do 
not  mean,  by  pricking  the  sensitive  part  of  the  foot  in  nailing 
the  shoe  on :  that  will,  in  all  probability,  occasion  only  tem- 

6* 


60  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

porary  lameness ;  but  in  the  ignorant  proselyte  of  Vulcan 
abusing  the  use  of  his  drawing  knife  or  butteris  ;  shaving, 
cutting,  rasping,  and  burning  the  foot  to  the  shoe,  and  pay- 
ing no  attention  to  the  peculiarities  in  the  tread  of  the  horse. 
I  am  quite  certain,  notwithstanding  so  much  has  been  assert- 
ed to  the  contrary  by  Mr.  Apperley,  that  the  blacksmith  may 
destroy  a  good  hoof  by  clumsily  placing  on  it  an  ill-construct- 
ed shoe. 

That  which  I  am  about  to  mention  does  not  apply  to  the 
foot  of  the  horse  :  but  it  is  so  far  applicable  as  to  show  what 
good  shoeing  may  do  in  opposition  to  bad.  I  purchased  a 
mare  at  Tattersall's,  one  of  four  that  had  been  sent  from  Her 
Majesty's  stable,  for  forty-eight  guineas.  Within  two  months 
of  my  buying  her,  she  threw  a  splent  on  her  off'  fore  leg. 
This  I  blistered  and  sweated  down,  until  it  was  not  larger 
than  a  bean  :  but  this  excrescence  still  remained,  in  spite  of 
my  repeated  endeavours  to  remove  it.  The  iron  would  no 
doubt  have  got  rid  of  it  altogether :  but  I  preferred  the  minor 
blemish  to  the  major;  and  as  it  did  not  interfere  with  her  action, 
although  it  was  exceedingly  high  and  close,  when  carefully 
shod,  I  rode  and  worked  her  as  a  hack  for  more  than  a  year, 
without  the  slightest  inconvenience  arising  from  the  splent. 
Mr.  Field  of  Oxford  Street  shod  the  mare  for  me;  and  by" 
"  levelling"  or  rounding  off  the  inside  of  her  near  fore  shoe, 
and,  indeed,  all  round,  and  being  particular  in  not  letting  it 
exceed  the  boundary  of  the  hoof,  she  did  her  work  as  well 
with  the  splent  as  she  had  done  without  it.  About  a  year 
afterwards,  a  friend  insisted  upon  becoming  the  purchaser  of 
her,  at  more  than  double  the  amount  that  I  had  given  ;  and, 
yielding  to  his  entreaties,  from  the  operation  of  my  bump  of 
acquisitiveness,  I  stated  at  the  time  of  the  completion  of  the 
bargain,  "  Now  remember,  if  you  let  an  ignorant  bumpkin 
shoe  her,  she  will  be  fit  only  for  the  boiler  in  three  months." 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  61 

He  assured  me  that  no  "  bumpkacious  biped"  should  touch 
her  feet ;  but  that  the  same  care  should  be  taken  of  them  as 
heretofore.  How  or  why  this  promise  came  not  to  be  fulfilled, 
I  never  inquired  :  but  when  I  saw  the  mare  again,  which  was 
within  two  months,  the  bean  had  swollen  to  the  size  of  a  hen's 
egg,  and  was  perfectly  raw,  from  the  continued  striking  of 
her  near  fore  shoe  ;  which  was  as  thick  and  as  heavy  as  that 
of  a  dray  horse,  and  projected  over  the  hoof  with  an  edge 
sharp  enough  to  cut  her  leg  in  two.  Now  the  cautery  was 
applied,  but  in  vain  ;  for  the  substance  was  as  hard  as  iron  ; 
and  not  even  the  skill  of  Mr.  Field  could  reduce  it  sufficiently 
for  her  not  to  strike  it  every  step  that  she  took  out  of  a  walk ; 
and  thus  as  handsome  and  as  good  a  hack  as  was  ever  sad- 
dled, was  sent  to  the  dogs,  solely  on  account  of  bad  shoeing. 

Not  being  prepared  for  the  work  that  he  is  put  to,  and  being 
fed  too  quickly  on  hard  meat,  when  brought  from  grass,  with- 
out a  sufficient  preparation  with  mashes  and  physic,  is  an  ad- 
ditional cause  of  lameness  in  the  foot :  improper  position  of 
the  limb  causing  an  uneven  tread ;  but,  above  9\\,fast  work 
upon  hard  ground. 

These,  for  the  most  part,  are  the  causes  of  foot  lameness ; 
and  it  is  for  the  careful  master  and  the  groom  to  avoid  them 
as  much  as  possible. 

It  is  not  in  the  power  of  man  to  prevent  foot  lameness  in 
very  many  cases ;  not  taking  into  consideration  the  accidents 
that  may  occasion  it.  For  instance,  it  sometimes  happens  that 
a  horse  may  have  as  good  a  shaped  hoof  as  can  be  desired, 
and  yet  disease  may  lurk  in  it  from  the  hour  of  his  birth. — 
His  tread  may  also  be  defective  and  uneven ;  and  this  is  cer- 
tain to  produce  lameness,  if  he  be  exposed  to  fast  work  ;  par- 
ticularly if  good  shoeing  be  not  resorted  to,  as  a  corrective  to 
the  limb  being  improperly  placed.  What  may  be  done  by 


62 

excellent  shoeing  in  this  case  is  beyond  credence :  but  as  so 
few  farriers  understand  even  the  rudiments  of  their  trade,  the 
chances  are  a  hundred  to  one  that  a  horse  will  be  attacked 
with  foot  lameness  who  has  an  uneven  tread. 

That  which  I  shall  term  the  "  innate"  disease  in  the  foot, 
is  generally  centred  in  the  navicular  bone  ;  and,  when  this  is 
injured,  no  human  art  can  restore  it.  It  often  occurs  that  this 
may  exist  in  a  perfect  model  of  a  foot ;  but  until  high  feeding 
and  work  expose  the  flaw,  it  is  beyond  the  judgment  or  inge- 
nuity of  the  most  experienced  to  discover  it.  For  a  horse 
thus  afflicted  there  is  no  remedy  but  the  knife ;  and  to  that, 
rather  than  incur  a  useless  expense,  supposing  the  effect  to 
be  so  bad  as  to  preclude  his  working  except  under  constant 
torture,  I  strongly  advise  every  humane  owner  of  such  an  ani- 
mal to  have  recourse. 

Fever  has  undoubtedly  a  determination  to  the  sensible 
parts  of  the  fore  feet;  and,  as  if  Nature  had  resolved 
that  the  balance  should  be  pretty  evenly  maintained  be- 
tween the  hinder  limbs  and  the  fore  ones,  it  is  well  known 
to  all  who  have  paid  attention  to  the  subject  that  the  hind 
leg  is  much  more  subjected  to  diseases  than  the  fore  one  ; 
while  the  hind  foot  is  not.  Now,  this  cannot  be  on  ac- 
count of  greater  care  being  bestowed  upon  the  latter ;  for 
grooms  invariably  pay  more  attention  to  the  fore  feet  than 
to  the  hinder  ones.  Indeed,  these  last  are  generally  sub- 
jected to  culpable  neglect  on  the  part  of  the  knights  of  the 
wisp  and  curry  comb. 

Cart  horses,  although  of  much  greater  weight  than  the 
description  of  animal  that  I  am  treating  of,  are  seldom  (I 
have  been  told  "  never'*  by  Mr.  Coleman  :  but  this  I  know 
to  be  incorrect)  lame  from  disease  in  the  foot.  Without 
question,  the  feet  of  cart  horses  are  much  more  neglected 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  DO 

than  those  of  the  hunter  or  the  roadster;  and  therefore  we 
must  trace  their  soundness  to  the  fact  of  their  not  being 
fed  so  highly,  and  the  great  root  of  the  evil,  the  pace,  being 
so  completely  negatived  in  these  animals  of  draught. 

Experiments  of  various  kinds  have  been  attempted  by 
sanguine  inventors,  to  produce  a  shoe  that  would  admit  of 
all  the  functions  of  the  foot  being  duly  performed  as  in  a 
state  of  nature.  We  have  had  patent  expanding  shoes,  and 
anti-concussion  shoes,  and  shoes  with  springs  in  the  heels, 
and  all  sorts  of  speculations  in  this  protector  to  the  foot  of  the 
noblest  animal  that  is  designed  for  the  service  of  man.  But, 
if  these  enthusiastic  artificers  had,  in  the  first  instance,  in- 
quired well  into  the  structure  of  the  foot,  they  would  have 
saved  themselves  an  infinity  of  futile  labour.  It  is  quite  im- 
practicable to  construct  a  shoe,  so  as  to  allow  of  the  entire 
offices  of  the  hoof,  in  the  same  manner  as  though  it  were  un- 
encumbered with  an  inflexible  body  ;  and  that  is  most  en- 
titled to  our  notice,  which  occasions  the  least  inconvenience 
to  the  horse,  and  allows  of  the  most  natural  position  to  the 
feet,  either  when  in  action  or  at  rest. 

That  eminent  professor  of  the  veterinary  art,  Professor 
Coleman,  has  asserted,  that,  without  pressure  upon  the  frog, 
it  becomes  diseased.  This  is  one  of  those  fallacies  which 
originate  in  the  error,  or  prejudice,  of  a  clever  man's  brain  ; 
and,  although  its  origin  can  be  traced  to  this  source,  hun- 
dreds and  thousands  give  credence  to  it,  without  giving 
themselves  the  trouble  of  inquiring  into  the  untenable  theo- 
rem. "No  animal,"  says  the  professor,  "can  be  preserved 
in  health,  where  the  natural  functions  are  prevented.  When 
the  frog  is  not  sufficiently  pressed  upon,  it  becomes  soft, 
from  the  accumulation  of  the  fluid  which  it  naturally  secretes 
in  great  abundance  from  the  fatty  substance  which  lies  im- 


64  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

mediately  under  the  tendon."  He  also  says,  that,  "  without 
pressure' on  the  frogs,  the  cartilages  of  the  coffin  bone  no 
longer  act  upon  the  coronary  ring;"  and  that,  "as  the  horn 
is  secreted,  it  takes  a  wrong  direction,  in  consequence  of 
this  want  of  action  on  the  cartilages ;  and  hence  all  the 
disease  which  takes  place." 

Now,  this  reads  like  the  argument  of  a  reflective  mind ; 
and  might  seduce  many,  easy  of  belief  to  conclude  it  to  be 
an  established  truth ;  but  experience  has  taught  me,  in  spite 
of  the  plausible  reasoning  of  Professor  Coleman,  and  some 
of  his  book-making  parasites,  that  a  greater  sophism  was 
never  broached.  I  have  ridden  some  thousands  of  miles 
on  all  sorts  of  grounds ;  and  I  am  sure,  whenever  the  frog 
touches  any  thing  which  is  hard,  the  horse  is  sure  to  flinch. 
In  opposition  to  the  authority  I  have  quoted,  who  says,  that, 
"  where  the  frog  does  not  touch  the  ground,  disease  must  be 
the  consequence"  I  assert,  that  no  horse  is  safe  with  his  frog 
in  contact  with  the  ground ;  and  that  disease  will  be  very 
likely  to  arise  from  the  concussion  with  it.  This  must  be  per- 
fectly obvious,  when  we  know  that  the  frog  is  exceedingly 
sensitive;  and  that,  whenever  it  is  pressed  upon  any  hard 
substance,  like  a  stone,  the  horse  winces  with  pain.  That 
which,  therefore,  cannot  bear  temporary  pressure,  most 
assuredly  should  not  be  subjected  to  constant  bruising.  As 
I  have  said,  in  a  former  part  of  this  book,  it  is  very  judi- 
cious to  pare  away  the  hoof,  and  to  let  the  frogs  well  down, 
when  a  horse  is  to  be  turned  into  his  loose  house  and  pad- 
dock ;  but  I  should  be  sorry  to  see  the  frogs  of  a  horse  of 
mine  upon  the  ground,  when  standing  on  a  firm  level ;  know- 
ing what  the  certain  result  must  be. 

Formerly  it  was  the  practice  in  the  army  to  shoe  horses 
with  a  thin-heeled  shoe ;  and  I  think  the  custom  became  a 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  65 

general  one.  By  these  means,  the  toes  of  the  horse  were 
raised,  the  heels  depressed,  and  his  frogs  let  down  upon  the 
ground.  The  compulsory  abandonment  of  that  method,  is 
conclusive  proof  of  its  futility.  As  Mr.  Goodwin  says, 
"  When  a  horse  is  shod  with  a  thin-heeled  shoe,  the  position 
of  the  leg  and  the  foot  is  unnatural,  and  continually  upon 
the  strain,  when  the  toes  are  raised  so  much  above  the 
heels;  and  this  must  be  the  situation  of  all  horses  shod  thus, 
except  in  those  which  have  become  mule  shaped  by  con- 
traction. Therefore  it  is  these  only  which  will  bear  a 
diminution  of  the  horn  at  the  toe,  equal  to  a  reduction  of 
the  shoe  at  the  heels,  which  Mr.  Coleman  urges  the  neces- 
sity of  paying  due  attention-  to.  Sprains  in  the  tendons  and 
ligaments,  as  well  as  fatigue  in  the  muscles  of  the  leg,  often 
occur  from  their  being  thus  unusually  exerted."  And  he 
adds,  that  "  he  has  never  seen  that  horses  thus  shod  are  less 
liable  to  contraction  or  to  corns.  On  the  contrary,  he  has 
remarked  that  the  low-heeled  system  is  particularly  inju- 
rious to  weak  feet,  and  disposes  the  heel  to  shelve  forward: 
the  foot,  in  consequence,  loses  its  equilibrium ;  and  the  horse 
goes  unsafe,  and  is  continually  tripping  and  blundering  in 
his  paces." 

Almost  every  horse  has  some  peculiarity  attached  to  his 
feet ;  and  therefore  it  is  difficult  to  prescribe  general  rules  for 
the  preparing  him  for  the  shoe,  and  the  manner  that  he 
should  be  shod.  However,  I  will  state  what  I  have  done 
with  my  own  horses,  and  the  system  that  I  still  pursue.  In 
the  first  place,  it  is  prejudicial  to  allow  the  shoes  to  remain 
on  longer  than  a  month ;  and  frequently  (but  this  will  depend 
on  the  material  and  form  of  the  foot  and  the  work  it  has 
been  put  to)  they  should  not  be  left  on  so  long.  Jt  must  be 
remarked  here,  however,  that  some  feet  will  not  bear  fre- 


66 

quent  shifting  of  the  shoes  ;  while  others  require  it,  in  order 
to  maintain  their  soundness.  If  a  foot  be  thick  and  strong 
in  the  crust,  and  be  deep  and  hollow,  it  can  bear  a  free 
application  of  the  butteris,  and  should  be  pared  well  down. 
The  toe  of  this  foot  should  be  kept  short ;  as  it  will  tend  to 
make  the  hoof  throw  out  new  horn  from  the  coronet.  A 
foot  the  reverse  of  this,  which  I  shall  call  a  weak  foot, 
should  be  treated  in  exactly  an  opposite  manner.  It  should 
be  pared  very  slightly  indeed ;  as  the  horn  is  barely  suffi- 
cient to  protect  the  internal  and  sensitive  parts.  This  ob- 
jectionable foot  may  be  known  by  the  circular  base,  the 
open  heels,  and  the  fine  flourishing  frog.  The  heels,  too,  are 
also  generally  low ;  causing  great  strain  on  the  flexor  ten- 
dons of  the  leg.  These  kind  of  feet  must  be  kept  dry ;  all 
moist- stopping  being  injurious  to  them.  The  toes  should 
be  cut  short ;  which  will  cause  their  heels  to  grow  higher. 
A  light  concave-seated  shoe  (and  I  will  here  state,  that  I 
am  strongly  in  favour  of  light  shoes  in  all  cases)  should  be 
applied ;  and  as  shifting  is  detrimental,  the  nails  should  be 
driven  superficially,  or  near  the  external  surface  of  the  wall 
of  the  foot.  In  all  shoeing,  care  should  be  taken  that  suffi- 
cient room  be  left  between  the  sole  and  the  shoe,  to  pass 
the  point  of  a  picker ;  as  then  little  danger  is  to  be  appre- 
hended, provided  the  shoe  be  well  fitted  to  the  foot. 

To  guard  against  the  danger  of  that  truly  provoking  ac- 
cident the  over-reach,  I  have  had  the  greatest  care  taken  in 
having  the  inside  edge  of  the  hind  shoes  "  bevelled  "  to  the 
greatest  nicety ;  and  this  is  a  sovereign  remedy  against  the 
evil.  It  is  frequently  imagined  that  an  over-reach  is  occa- 
sioned by  the  striking  of  the  toe  against  the  fore  leg ;  where- 
as it  is  in  the  act  of  drawing  back  the  hind  leg,  after  an 
over-exertion  of  the  hind  quarters,  that  these  frightful  gashes 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  67 

are  made ;  and  if  the  inside  edge  of  the  shoes  be  well  round- 
ed off",  nothing  of  the  kind  will  be  discovered. 

I  once  saw  the  sinews  of  a  horse,  ridden  by  a  whipper-in, 
entirely  cut  through  by  an  over-reach,  which  was  done  in 
clearing  a  brook.  Like  many  of  the  best,  he  disliked  water 
and  the  man  rode  him  to  it  at  speed ;  and,  between  the  fear 
that  the  horse  had  in  taking  the  leap,  and  the  "  persuasives" 
that  were  used  in  urging  him  towards  it,  he  made  a  mighty 
spring.  Unhappily,  the  inside  edge  of  the  near  hind  shoe 
being  as  sharp  as  a  knife,  by  the  effect  of  the  violent  spring, 
the  sinews  were  completely  severed,  and  the  horse  had  to 
be  killed  on  the  spot. 


68 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS  CONTINUED. TREATMENT  OF  FEET 

AFTER    SEVERE    WORK. — DISEASES    OF    THE  FEET. FURTHER 

REMARKS  ON  SHOEING,  &C-,  &C. 

I  AM  a  great  admirer  of  that  good  old  maxim, — "  A  stitch 
in  time  saves  nine  ;"  and  of  the  policy  of  invariably  prevent- 
ing mischief,  instead  of  ejecting  it  when  fairly  or  unfairly 
in  possession. 

After  severe  days,  the  fore-feet  of  horses  should  be  well 
fomented  with  hot  water  and  bran  poultices,  sufficiently 
large  to  cover  the  coronet,  w?ith  bole  ammoniac  lightly 
mingled  with  it,  to  prevent  it  softening  the  frogs.  After  the 
horse  has  gone  to  exercise  in  the  morning,  and  there  is  an 
appearance  of  tenderness  in  the  feet,  which  may  be  known 
by  his  placing  the  greatest  part  of  his  weight  on  his  hind 
Jegs  he  should  be  bled  in  the  foot  veins;  which  is  both  a 
simple  and  safe  operation.  I  should  at  the  same  time  state, 
that  judgment  must  be  used  in  not  mistaking  stiffness,  a 
bruise,  or  any  such  temporary  ill,  for  inflammation  or  sore- 
ness in  the  feet. 

Stopping,  I  have  ever  considered  as  one  of  the  most  effec- 
tive means  of  preventing  disease  in  the  feet  of  horses ;  and 
although  there  are  some  that  had  better  be  kept  uniformly 
dry,  yet  these  are  the  exceptions  to  the  rule.  Generally 
speaking,  from  the  artificial  state  in  which  horses  are  kept, 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  69 

the  heat  engendered  by  high  keep,  nnd  ihe  pace  that  they 
are  required  to  go  on  hard  ground,  moisture  to  the  soles 
and  to  the  frogs  is  indispensable.  At  the  same  time,  stop- 
ping should  not  be  constantly  applied;  but  only  two  or  three 
nights  in  the  course  of  the  week,  when  a  horse,  is  in  high 
condition  and  hard  work.  Clay  and  cow-dung  are  very 
cooling  and  simple  ingredients  for  this  purpose  ;  and  I  think 
quite  as  good,  if  not  better,  than  I  have  yet  heard  recom- 
mended. 

I  have  seen  moisture  applied  to  the  external  surface  of 
the  hoof,  by  saturated  tow  being  tied  round  the  outside  of  the 
coronets  and  hanging  over  the  entire  of  the  crust.  This  may 
promote  the  growth  of  horn  from  the  coronet :  but  I  think 
the  same  improvement  to  the  foot  may  always  be  obtained 
from  internal  stopping  ;  which  is  far  easier  to  apply. 

There  is  a  description  of  foot, called  "pumiced,"  which,  in 
far  the  greatest  number  of  instances,  is  the  result  of  fever : 
but  when  it  is  not  so,  and  it  may  be  traced  to  a  natural 
defect,  the  cause  is  in  the  crust  and  lamina  being  too  thin 
and  weak,  and  the  frog  being  generally  stronger  than  the 
other  parts.  According  to  Mr.  Goodwin,  than  whom  a  more 
eminent  authority  cannot  be  referred  to,  all  horses  that  are 
put  to  fast  work  are  subject  to  pumiced  feet.  "In  those," 
says  he,  "  where  the  secretion  of  horn  is  insufficient  to  meet 
all  the  purposes  required,  it  is  found  even  at  an  early  age, 
after  being  shod  only  a  few  times ;  for,  as  the  crust  and 
laminaB  are  thin  and  weak,  they  are  unequal  to  support  the 
weight  which  nature  intended  ;  by  which  the  peculiar  struc- 
ture and  connexion  between  the  horny  and  sensible  laminae 
should  be  chiefly  borne  by  them.  This  does  not  wholly 
arise  from  a  defect  of  nature ;  for  nature  did  not  intend  that 
the  animal  should  be  shod,  kept  in  hot  stables,  or  go  so  fast 


70  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

upon  the  hard  roads.  As  the  disease  increases,  the  coffin 
bone  and  the  internal  contents  of  the  hoofs  sink,  and  bear 
down  upon  the  horny  sole ;  which,  being  thin  and  weak 
gives  way;  soon  losing  its  concave  appearance,  and  becoming 
convex." 

Horses  with  these  pumiced  feet  are  very  apt  to  cast  their 
shoes.  Indeed,  it  is  a  matter  of  great  difficulty  to  keep  any 
kind  of  shoe  on,  in  deep  ground. 

It  would  be  superfluous  to  repeat  the  measures  to  be 
adopted  as  preventives  of  pumice;  as  I  have  stated  the  cause 
in  four-fifths  of  the  cases,  to  be  fever;  and  that  which  keeps 
away  fever,  as  a  necessary  sequitur,  will  prevent  pumice.  But 
I  must  add  the  plan  to  be  adopted,  when  this  disease,  unfortu- 
nately, becomes  seated  in  the  foot.  If  the  sole  becomes  so 
convex  that  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  ground,  when  stand- 
ing on  a  level,  the  sooner  the  horse  is  put  out  of  work  the 
better.  He  should  have  the  crust  of  his  fore  feet  rasped 
down  nearly  to  the  level  of  the  sole ;  and  then  be  made  to 
stand,  for  three  or  four  hours  each  day,  upon  a  level  surface 
of  flag  stones  or  bricks ;  and  tar  ointment  should  be  freely 
applied  to  every  part  of  the  foot.  The  toes  should  be  kept 
short,  to  promote  the  growth  of  the  horn.  This  course  will  be 
found  a  palliative  of  the  evil:  but  no  radical  cure  can  with 
any  certainty  be  looked  for. 

The  common  disease,  known  by  the  name  of  "  the  thrush," 
is  an  issue  or  vent  for  the  secretion  of  foul  matter.  The 
preventive  of  this  is,  to  keep  the  horse's  system  from  be- 
coming foul  by  physic,  alteratives,  proper  feeding;  and  not  per- 
mitting him  to  stand  on  wet  litter.  Many  have  an  idea,  that 
the  stopping  of  a  running  thrush  quickly,  by  drying,  external 
applications,  proves  highly  dangerous  :  but  there  is  no  danger 
whatever  in  so  doing,  provided  mashes  and  physic  be  admi- 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  71 

nistered  at  the  same  time.  It  must  be  remembered,  however, 
that  the  foulness  must  be  thrown  out  somewhere  ;  and  that, 
if  the  thrush  be  stopped  without  medicine,  it  will  fly  to  some 
other  quarter ;  the  eyes  being  by  no  means  an  unlikely  quar- 
ter. When  the  thrush  is  in  the  hind  foot,  it  may  be  taken 
for  granted  that  it  has  been  caused  by  the  culpable  negligence 
of  the  groom,  in  permitting  the  horse  to  stand  in  his  dung 
or  upon  wet  litter.  But,  whether  proceeding  from  internal 
foulness  of  habit,  or  outward  neglect  and  filthiness,  the  effects 
are  the  same,  although  the  causes  are  different.  If  from  the 
latter,  remove  the  cause,  and  the  disease  may  cease  without 
further  trouble ;  but,  if  it  has  proceeded  so  far  as  to  produce 
ulceration  of  the  sensible  frog,  a  dressing  composed  of  a  so- 
lution of  blue  vitriol,  or  oxymel  of  verdigris,  is  necessary. 
Before  this  is  done,  the  cleft  of  the  frog  should  be  thoroughly 
cleansed  to  the  bottom,  by  means  of  tow ;  and,  if  there  be 
any  ragged  horn  covering  a  diseased  part,  it  should  be  com- 
pletely removed  by  the  knife.  One  of  these  dressings  is  suf- 
ficient for  the  cure.  As  to  the  thrush  in  the  fore  feet,  the 
treatment  must  be  different,  if  the  disease  be  from  foulness 
of  body;  of  which  there  is  the  greater  likelihood.  Then 
physic  must  be  given;  at  the  same  time  the  frog  must 
be  kept  clean;  and,  if  a  bad  old  thrush,  it  will  be  better  to 
rasp  the  heels  and  quarters,  thin  the  soles,  cover  the  frog  with 
tar  ointment,  and  wrap  the  foot  in  a  bran  poultice.  Should 
the  thrush  continue  after  the  hoof  has  been  well  soaked  in 
the  poultice,  and  especially  if  the  frog  be  very  tender  and 
rotten,  Egyptiacum  with  a  few  drops  to  two  ounces  of  sul- 
phuric acid  is  a  capital  dressing.  As  a  concluding  remark 
upon  this  disease,  I  may  add,  that  the  knife  should  be  freely 
applied  removing  ever}''  bit  of  unsoundness  from  the  frog ;  as 
unsound  flesh  can  never  unite  with  sound. 


72  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

Mr.  Apperley  says,  in  speaking  of  shoeing,  (concerning 
which  he  treats  very  lightly,)  that  "  when  executed  on  its 
worst  plan,  it  has  not  alone  the  power  to  produce  lameness." 
I  should  like  to  have  been  at  his  elbow  when  he  penned  this 
sentence,  and  to  have  asked  him  whether  bad  shoeing  would 
not  produce  corns,  and  whether  corns  will  not  produce  lame- 
ness ;  for  which,  frequently,  there  is  no  radical  cure. 

Corns  are  generally  occasioned  by  the  pressure  of  the  heel 
of  the  shoe;  either  by  its  bearing  directly  on  the  sole,  when 
it  is  too  thin  to  bear  the  pressure,  or  by  its  forcing  the  heel  of 
the  crust  inwards.  In  this  way,  the  sensible  sole  and  laminae 
are  bruised,  their  blood-vessels  ruptured,  and  the  blood  pene- 
trates into  the  pores  of  the  horn. 

Need  I  say,  that,  to  escape  this  common  and  troublesome 
disorder,  let  your  blacksmith  be  skilful ;  corns  are  a  certain 
effect  of  his  want  of  skill. 

Of  an  old  neglected  corn,  no  absolute  cure  can  with  any 
reasonable  expectation  be  hoped  for,  but  if  taken  early,  a  radi- 
cal cure  is  practicable. 

The  practice  of  paring  out  a  corn,  and  leaving  the  bar  and 
crust  to  press  upon  the  heel  of  the  shoe,  is  of  no  benefit;  as, 
if  a  little  temporary  relief  be  afforded  by  bending  or  making 
the  shoe  bear  off  that  particular  part,  in  a  very  short  time  it 
must  yield  to  the  weight  of  the  horse,  and  press  upon  the  ten- 
der heel.  It  is  thus  that  corns  are  made  so  troublesome  as 
we  find  them  ;  and  not  unfrequently  horses  are  ruined  by  this 
improper  treatment.  Matter  is  often  formed  within  the  heel, 
from  this  sort  ol  management,  and  breaks  out  at  the  coronet ; 
frequently  doing  great  mischief,  and  even  rendering  the  horse 
useless.  When  corns  have  been  suffered  to  go  this  length, 
the  foot  must  be  poulticed,  and  all  the  hollow  horn  cut  away. 

After  the  inflammation  has  been  entirely  subdued,  the  sen- 
sible parts  which  have  been  laid  bare  should  be  dressed  with 


ON    THE    CONDITION    OF    HUNTERS.  73 

tar  ointment  and  Friar's  balsam.  In  old  cases,  the  sensible 
parts  will  always  remain  tender,  however  carefully  they  may 
be  treated,  and  will  always  require  the  protection  of  a  bar 
shoe. 

There  is  another  cause  of  foot-lameness,  which  seems  to 
have  escaped  the  notice  of  Nimrod,  when  he  spoke  of  "shoe- 
ing alone  not  having  the  power  to  produce  lameness."  The 
form  of  a  foot  is  changed  by  the  influence  of  shoeing;  and 
unless  the  bearing  of  the  shoe  be  accommodated  to  these 
changes,  to  which  the  unceasing  attention  and  skill  of  the 
smith  should  be  directed,  fever  will  be  the  result,  from  con- 
traction and  unequal  pressure  ;  to  prevent  which,  the  great 
art  is  to  consult  the  natural  tread. 

It  is.  the  opinion  of  that  clever  writer,  Mr.  Goodwin,  that 
fever  in  the  feet  is  often  produced,  in  hunters,  by  their  taking 
high  leaps  on  hard  ground,  or  going  fast  over  stones  or  flinty 
ground  ;  also,  by  a  chill  occasioned  by  riding  the  animal  into 
water  when  heated.  This  is  doubtless  correct ;  but,  with 
hunters,  it  generally  proceeds  from  over-exitement  of  the 
vascular  system,  from  high  food  and  fast  work.  Mr.  Hinds 
agrees  in  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Goodwin  on  this  subject.  He 
says  ,  "  when  we  reflect  upon  the  strict  accordance  between 
the  structure  of  the  fore-feet  and  the  hind,  and  then  look  over 
and  lament  the  numerous  disorders  that  the  first  is  liable  to, 
whilst  the  hinder  one  is  comparativly  free,  it  gives  us  reason 
to  pause.  But,  without  entering  into  an  elaborate  investi- 
gation of  this  difference  as  to  health,  I  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  we  ouo-ht  to  attribute  diseases  of  the  feet  to  the  excessive 

O 

heat  of  the  vascular  system,  promoted  by  the  great  exertions 
the  animal  is  put  to,  and  the  rude  concussion  the  fore-feet  in 
particular  endure  at  every  step;  thus  creating  heat,  and 
attracting  hither  any  evil  humours  that  may  afflict  the  body 


74  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

generally.  He  adds, — "  Time  and  hard  work,  and  the  heat 
of  the  blood,  occasion  brittle  hoofs  and  distortions,  with  nu- 
merous disorders  that  attach  to  the  foot  generally,  or  belong 
to  the  sole  only." 

I  have  mentioned  more  than  once  the  inner  sole.  It 
will  be  well  for  me  to  describe  it.  It  is  one  of  the  flexor 
tendons  of  the  leg,  continued  to  the  bottom  of  the  foot,  cover- 
ing the  navicular  bone.  Sand-crack  is  a  further  disease  to 
which  the  feet  of  horses  are  exposed.  As  this  happens  in 
consequence  of  the  dryness  and  brittleness  of  the  hoofs,  if 
stopping  and  soiling  be  properly  attended  to,  there  will  be 
little  danger  from  this  disease.  It  generally  extends  to  the 
sensible  parts  of  the  hoof;  and  can  seldom  be  cured,  if  the 
horse  be  kept  in  work.  The  first  thing  to  be  done  is,  to  open 
the  crack  with  a  drawing  knife  ;  for  it  nearly  invariably  runs 
obliquely  under  the  horn;  and  to  cut  out  every  hollow 
part  completely,  however  far  it  may  extend  under  the  crust. 

Every  particle  of  horn  that  is  hollow,  or  detached  from 
the  sensible  parts  must  be  completely  cut  away,  however 
far  it  may  extend  under  the  crust.  A  solution  of  blue  vitriol 
should  then  be  applied,  and  afterwards  some  tar  ointment. 

Should  there  be  much  lameness  or  inflammation  in  the 
foot  it  should  be  poulticed  for  several  days,  and  no  shoe  be 
put  on  until  an  inch  of  new  hoof  appear  above  the  crack.  A 
little  blister  ointment,  just  above  the  crack,  often  does  good, 
and  tar  ointment,  on  the  crack  and  adjacent  horn.  The  foot 
for  a  considerable  time,  should  be  kept  regularly  stopped;  not 
with  clay  or  cow-dung,  but  with  tar  ointment.  This  will 
be  absorbed  through  the  horn,  stimulate  the  secreting  ves- 
sels, and  cause  a  plentiful  effusion  of  that  odorous  vapour 
which  is  constantly  escaping  from  the  bottom  of  the  foot. 

As  an  unctuous  application,  to  render  a  hoof  supple,  and 
which  is  very  generally  used  in  racing  stables, — Venice 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  75 

turpentine,  quarter  of  a  pound,  mixed  in  half  a  pound  of 
fresh  hog's  lard, — is  as  good  a  recipe  as  can  be  desired. 

While  treating  on  the  hoof,  I  think  it  will  not  be  ill-timed 
to  give  a  short  extract  from  Mr.  Goodwin's  excellent  work 
"  on  the  Diseases  of  the  Feet."  "  I  have  invariably  ob- 
served," says  he,  "  where  horses  are  turned  out  to  grass, 
during  the  dry  and  hot  summer  months,  that,  on  bringing- 
them  up  to  be  put  into  stable  condition,  their  feet  are  in 
much  worse  state  than  they  were  when  they  went  out;  dried 
up,  and  so  hard  and  brittle,  that  on  the  application  of  a 
tool  to  bring  them  into  a  form  fit  to  receive  a  shoe,  the  horn 
breaks  like  a  piece  of  glass  ;  and  all  the  naturally  tough  and 
elastic  property  is  lost,  so  that  it  requires  some  months  to 
remove  the  bad  effects.  If  it  is  necessary  that  a  horse 
should  be  put  out  of  work  during  the  hot  and  dry  weather, 
I  prefer  a  large  box,  or  shed,  and  soiling  with  green  food  ; 
by  which  means  two  objects  are  gained  : — viz.  all  the  in- 
jurious effects  of  a  drying  wind  or  a  meridian  sun  on  the 
hoofs  are  avoided  ;  which  creates  such  an  excessive  evapo- 
ration of  the  natural  moisture  absorbed  into  the  horn  from 
within,  that  it  not  only  becomes  dry,  hard,  and  brittle,  but 
the  whole  horny  box  tightens  on  the  sensible  parts,  and  fre- 
quently produces  great  mischief.  But,  in  a  loose  place, 
moisture  may  be  applied  in  any  desirable  way.  The  other 
advantage  of  a  shed  or  box  is,  that  horses  are  sheltered  from 
the  terrifying  effects  of  flies  and  heat.  Horses  at  grass  are 
much  inclined  to  thrushes  ;  and,  whether  they  have  shoes  or 
tips,  or  are  without  either,  it  is  necessary  frequently  to  in- 
spect their  feet,  and  to  remove  all  superfluous  horn  ;  other- 
wise the  foot  will  grow  out  of  all  shape. 


76 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE     CONDITION      OE     HUNTERS     CONCLUDED. TREATMENT     OF 

COMMON     INJURIES    AND     DISEASES. GENERAL    REMARKS. 

PHYSIC,  &C. 

As  I  have  said  in  my  preface  to  this  work,  it  was  not  my 
intention  to  enter  into  the  labyrinth  of  details  of  veterinary 
surgery,  because  I  was  not  sufficiently  acquainted  with  them 
in  the  first  place  to  make  such  an  attempt;  and,  in  the  second 
there  was  no  necessity,  in  assisting  or  instructing  the  sports- 
man, that  he  should  be  wearied  with, the  study  of  so  pro- 
found an  art.  At  the  same  time,  he  can  scarcely  be  deemed 
a  sportsman  who  is  ignorant  of  the  common  causes  of  dis- 
eases in  horses,  or  the  equally  common  means  of  cure  ;  or, 
what  is  far  more  desirable  for  him  to  know,  the  preservatives 
against  their  attacks.  As  far  as  my  experience  and  know- 
ledge (gained  by  reference  to  the  highest  authorities  upon 
the  subjects  treated  of)  extend,  I  have  endeavoured  to  sub- 
mit, in  the  easiest  and  most  comprehensive  form,  nearly  all 
that  I  consider  necessary  for  the  soundness,  health,  condition, 
comfort,  and  well-doing  of  the  hunter.  Before,  however, 
quitting  this  favourite  topic  of  mine,  I  shall  add,  by  way  of 
conclusion,  the  simplest  treatment  for  common  injuries  and 
diseases';  as,  although  I  strongly  deprecate  mere  speculation 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  77 

or  working  in  the  dark,  I  regard  the  calling  in  the  assistance 
of  the  proselyte  of  Esculapius  upon  every  trifling  loosening 
of  a  screw,  as  unnecessary  and  extravagant. 

There  is  no  injury  to  which  hunters  are  more  liable,  than 
thorns  in  their  legs  and  fetlocks,  and  stubs  in  their  frogs. 
As  a  matter  of  course,  there  is  nothing  in  these  cases  that  I 
can  urge  as  preventives ;  but,  as  to  the  cure,  there  will  be 
no  great  difficulty.  With  thorns,  the  first  object  is  extrac- 
tion :  but  it  is  often  difficult  to  discover  the  exact  seat  of 
the  poisonous  barb  ;  and  also,  when  discovered,  it  is  fre- 
quently far  from  easy  to  be  got  at.  The  knife  and  the  lancet 
should  be  used  carefully,  as  the  means  of  extraction  ;  for  fre- 
quently a  wound  may  be  made,  without  the  least  service 
being  performed.  To  encourage  suppuration  as  much  as 
possible,  by  poulticing,  is  the  safest  plan ;  and  I  have  found 
a  large  linseed  poultice  the  quickest  in  drawing  the  pus. 
Sometimes  several  gatherings  of  pus  will  be  collected  and 
discharged,  before  the  thorn  will  make  its  appearance ;  it 
having  been  deeply  buried  in  the  flesh.  Until  this  appears 
the  poulticing  must  be  continued  ;  and  fomentations  with 
hot  water  will  greatly  accelerate  the  decrease  of  inflammation. 
It  has  occurred  that  lameness  produced  by  a  thorn  has  been 
mistaken  for  other  causes,  even  by  eminent  professors  of  V. 
S.,  and  horses  have  been  blistered  and  fired  in  consequence 
of  the  error  ;  which  has  been  proved,  when  too  late,  by  the 
thorn  issuing  forth  some  months  after  being  seated  in  the  leg, 
or  the  foot. 

Stubs  and  splinters  are  even  more  injurious  to  the  legs 
and  feet  of  hunters  than  thorns.  Many,  indeed,  are  so  con- 
tused and  lacerated  by  these  multitudinous  causes  of  lame- 
ness, as  to  be  of  no  further  use.  Nerves,  ligaments,  and  ten- 
dons become  wounded,  the  treatment  of  which  requires  great 
skill;  and,  to  lose  time  in  calling  in  the  aid  of  the  veterinarian, 


78 

is  to  abandon  the  horse  to  destruction.  Inflammation  always 
ensues  from  these  wounds,  and  often  of  a  most  violent  na- 
ture; and  the  first  step  (after  extraction,  if  it  be  possible)  to 
be  taken,  is,  to  foment  and  poultice  the  injured  part,  in  order 
to  reduce  it  as  speedily  as  may  be  practicable. 

Sore  backs  may  generally  be  prevented  by  proper  care 
and  attention  to  the  saddle.  If  it  fits  well,  and  the  padding 
be  elastic,  drying,  beating  and  keeping  the  panels  of  them 
clean  after  use,  is  all  that  is  wanted.  Some  heavy  weights 
are,  from  bad  seats,  apt  to  wring  the  backs  of  their  horses, 
without  the  saddle  being  any  way  faulty;  and  the  skin  of  some 
horses  is  so  tender,  that  it  will  gall  with  very  slight  pressure, 
particularly  when  sweating  freely.  In  the  latter  case,  a  sheep's 
skin  under  the  saddle  will  be  found  a  palliative  of  galling  fric- 
tion; although  it  is  far  from  being  ornamental  to  the  appoint- 
ments of  a  sportsman;  by  the  covert  side.  To  wash  such 
backs  with  salt  water,  with  a  little  alum  mixed  with  it  will 
be  found  to  harden  the  skin,  and  render  it  less  likely  to  be 
wrung.  Upon  lumps  or  a  puff  being  discovered,  when  the 
saddle  is  removed,  fomentations  with  hot  water  should  be 
freely  applied,  and  the  clothes  be  kept  oft' the  part  affected,  as 
the  heat  of  them  adds  to  the  inflammation.  When  the  skin 
is  broken,  great  care  is  necessary ;  as  it  may  soon  become 
confirmed  sit-fast  and  fistula.  Good  detergent  ointments 
should  be  applied,  and  wash  of  Goulard  water  moderately 
strong. 

As  a  detergent  of  cleansing  ointment,  I  think  the  following 
as  good  as  can  be  mixed: — 

Palm  oil,         -------  2  oz. 

Olive  oil, 1  Ib. 

Palm  oil, 2  oz. 

Solution  of  subacetat  of  lead  commonly  called 

Goulard's  extract, 3  oz 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  79 

When  sit-fast,  which  is  a  callous  ulcer,  takes  place,  the 
knife,  not  unfrequently,  is  indispensable.  This  is  a  danger- 
ous implement  in  unskilful  hands,  and  therefore  had  better 
be  left  to  the  direction  of  the  V.  S.  in  all  cases  where  it  is 
required. 

The  disease  in  the  wind  of  horses,  commonly  called 
"  roaring,"  is  classed  under  many  different  heads.  We  hear 
of  whistling,  wheezing,  piping,  high-blowing,  and  grunting ; 
which  are  the  various  degrees  of  the  complaint. 

In  "  Percival's  Lectures,"  this  subject  is  ably  and  scien- 
tifically treated ;  and  although,  for  my  purpose,  it  is  not  ne- 
cessary that  I  should  enter  into  the  particulars  with  so  much 
care,  yet  as  the  disease  is  very  common  with  horses,  I  shall 
give  it  more  than  ordinary  consideration. 

The  causes  are  mostly  inflammation,  acute  or  chronic,  in 
the  tracheal  tube  itself.  Severe  colds  or  inflammation  of  the 
lungs,  which  produce  much  membranous  inflammation,  are 
doubtless  the  most  common  causes  of  roaring;  and  therefore 
should  be  guarded  against  as  much  as  possible.  The  con- 
stitutions of  horses  vpry  like  those  of  ourselves,  and  some 
are  more  sensitive  to  cold  and  chills  and  the  changes  of  tem- 
perature than  others.  Such  animals  should  be  exposed  as  little 
as  possible  to  any  violent  weather,  or  sudden  change  of  tem- 
perature. 

"  A  simple  cold,"  says  Mr.  Hinds,  "  consists  in  slight 
inflammation  of  the  membrane  that  lines  the  nose,  windpipe, 
&c.  ;  as  we  find,  in  all  other  inflammatory  disorders,  varia- 
tions in  the  symptoms  occur,  according  to  the  previous  con- 
stitution, and  its  previous  condition.  For  example:  If  two 
equal  animals  be  exposed  to  a  chilly  night  air,  that  horse 
which  had  performed  a  journey  previously  to  turning  out 
would  catch  a  cold  for  certain — the  other  most  probably 
would  escape  :  but,  if. both  had  performed  the  same  journey, 
8 


80  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

and  one  of  them  laboured  under  the  constitutional  defect  of 
adhesion  of  the  pleura,  he  would  acquire  the  more  malig- 
nant cold,  known  as  inflammation  of  the  lungs;  his  less  un- 
happy mate,  a  simple  cold.  In  proportion  that  the  attack 
may  be  more  severe,  the  symptoms  increase;  as  does  the 
danger.  Passing  the  hand  down  the  windpipe  at  the  epi- 
glottis, the  animal  will  shrink  ;  he  will  soon  evince  difficulty 
of  swallowing,  and  refuse  his  food  ;  inflammation  has  begun. 

As  in  that  insidious  disease  consumption  with  us,  there  is 
no  cure  for  confirmed  roaring.  Quacks,  at  various  times,  have 
sprung  up  like  mushrooms,  and  impudently  and  ignorantly 
sent  forth  some  lauded  panacea  to  cure  the  evil  with  magical 
effect.  Like  all  emanations  from  vulgar  ignorance,  how- 
ever, these  cures  have  vanished  before  practical  inquiry,  and 
are  now  never  heard  of.  There  is  an  operation  called 
"  bronchotomy ;"  which  consists  of  opening  the  larynx,  and 
cutting  out  the  band  or  lymph  which  crosses  the  windpipe; 
but  the  result  is  so  uncertain,  that,  for  a  long  period,  it  has 
been  discontinued,  and  very  properly  so. 

Turning  out  hunters  in  the  summer  is  another,  and  one  of 
the  principal  predisposing  causes  of  this  irremediable  disease. 

This  is  also  Mr.  PercivalPs  opinion ;  and  a  higher  autho- 
rity upon  this  particular  complaint  cannot  be  referred  to. 

He  says,  that  "  two  un  domesticated  horses  out  of  three,  un- 
der five  years  old,  that  are  taken  from  cold  situations,  and 
kept  in  warm  stables,  and  fed  upon  the  ordinary  ration  of 
provender,  will  receive  catarrh.  But  even  domesticated 
horses  that  are  advanced  in  years,  and  that  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  such  changes,  do  not  always  escape,  unless  some 
precautionary  measures  be  taken  ;  for,  hunters  taken  up  from 
grass  in  August  or  September,  unless  due  attention  be  paid 
to  the  temperature  of  the  stable,  and  their  clothing  and  regi- 
men, are  often  the  subjects  of  catarrhal  attacks.'' 


OF  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  81 

( 'hronic  cough  is  often  the  remains  of  a  partially  cured 
cold,  though  no  cough  may  have  attended  it  in  it  first  stage : 
and  chronic  cough  generally  ends  in  roaring. 

When  a  colt  comes  up  a  roarer,  it  is  generally  the  result 
of  the  termination  of  the  strangles.  The  catarrhal  affection 
that  accompanies  strangles  now  and  then,  continues  long 
after  the  wound  in  the  throat  has  closed  up:  leaves  the  laryn- 
geal  membrane  thickened,  and  perhaps  ulcerated;  and  thus 
lays  the  foundation  of  this  disease. 

Extraneous  substances  lodged  in  the  cavities  leading  to  the 
trachea  may  occasion  roaring.  Barriere  gives  a  case  de- 
pendent on  the  lodgment  of  a  piece  of  riband  within  one  of 
the  nasal  fossae;  and  Godine  another,  brought  on  by  a  dis- 
placed molar  tooth.  These,  of  course,  were  accidental  ob- 
structions ;  but  the  main  causes  are  to  be  looked  for  in  an  ex- 
extravasation,  partial  or  extensive,  of  coagulable  lymph 
which,  becoming  organized  forms  a  permanent  obstruction. 
When  it  is  extensively  spread  over  the  larynx,  it  produces 
wheezing:  when  it  constringes  the  rirnaglottis,  a  whistling 
sound  is  the  consequence,  of  the  kind  often  heard  in  our  own 
respirations  under  catarrh,  or  in  the  ordinary  respirations  of 
some  asthmatic  persons. 

In  handling  the  throats  of  many  old  horses  the  larynx  is 
often  found  in  such  a  hardened  state  that  it  is  almost  impos- 
sible to,  "  cough  "  them.  This  ossification  of  the  laryngeal 
cartilages  is  not  an  uncommon  cause  of  roaring :  and  a 
similar  state  of  the  cartilages  of  the  trachea  is  productive  of 
it  also. 

A  very  common  cause  of  roaring'  is  a  band  of  lymph 
stretched  across  the  tracheal  tube  ;  or  an  internal  ring,  of 
the  same  matter.  These  obstructions  are  sometimes  so  con- 
siderable that  the  least  exertion  excites  piping  or  roaring. 


82  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

In  general  cases,  however,  roaring  is  produced  only  when 
forcible  inspirations  and  respirations  are  made.  It  is  pro- 
duced by  the  one  as  readily  as  by  the  other. 

Mechanical  obstructions  to  free  respiration  may  even- 
tually be  productive  of  roaring.  The  custom  of  tightly 
reining  in  our  carriage  horses  produces  it  very  often  ;  and 
Mr.  Sewell  thinks  that  using  tight  throat-lashes,  or  neck- 
straps,  may  lead  to  it.  In  corroboration  of  which  opinion 
it  may  be  recollected,  that  horsemen  have  a  very  general  be- 
lief, that  crib-biting  ends  in  roaring,  in  thick  wind,  or  broken 
wind.  May  not  the  tight  collar-strap  also  tend  to  the  first  of 
these  affections  ? 

In  Russia,  where  it  is  the  custom  to  drive  horses  with  their 
heads  curved  into  their  breasts  by  cruelly  sharp  bits,  there 
are  more  horses  afflicted  with  roaring,  taking  the  numbers 
that  are  used  into  calculation,  than  in  any  other  part  of  the 
world.  The  temperature  there,  is  of  course,  to  be  taken  into 
consideration;  and  may,  in  consequence  of  the  intense  cold- 
ness, have  much  to  do  with  the  disease.  I  cannot  however 
but  think  the  impediment  to  free  respiration,  caused  by  this 
mode  of  arching  their  throats  so  unnaturally,  has  greatly  to  do 
with  the  predisposition. 

The  treatment  must  be  regulated  by  circumstances  ;  but, 
in  the  early  stages,  an  attempt  should  be  made  to  remove  the 
causes.  Then,  the  attempt  will  often  succeed.  If  active  in- 
flammation be  going  on,  bleed  and  blister  ;  and  if  tumefac- 
tion of  the  neighbouring  parts  have  occasioned  it,  try  to  re- 
duce them.  Elevate  the  head  as  much  as  may  be.  Mr. 
Sewell  recommends  a  seton  in  the  vicinity  of  the  obstruction  ; 
which  I  think  highly  beneficial.  Still,  as  I  have  before  said 
when  roaring  is  confirmed,  there  is  no  cure  whatever  for  the 
disease. 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  83 

In  all  cases  when  horses  go  blind,  except  the  eye  be 
knocked  or  torn  out  by  an  accident,  inflammation,  occasioned 
by  external  injury  or  internal  disease,  is  the  proximate 
cause. 

"  The  many  diseases,"  says  Mr.  Percivall,  "  to'wnich  the 
eye  of  the  domestic  horse  is  obnoxious,  compared  in  number 
to  the  many  set  down  by  ophthalmic  writers  to  the  organ  in 
man,  are  certainly  very  few ;  yet  there  is  one  among  them 
that  has  proved  in  all  ages  of  veterinary  surgery  sojpestilen- 
tial,  and  that,  even  at  the  present  day,  so  obstinately  pur- 
sues its  end  in  spite  of  all  remedial  measures,  that  this  of 
itself  is  a  sufficient  reason  for  us  to  become  well  acquainted 
with  the  anatomy  and  physiology  of  the  eye,  and  to  pay  more 
than  ordinary  attention  to  it  in  a  state  of  disease."  The  writer 
here  is  alluding  to  "  cataract."  Now,  there  is  nothing  that 
will  remove  cataract  but  a  surgical  operation  ;  and  as  the 
natural  lens  must  be  destroyed  in  removing  it,  art  cannot  sup- 
ply the  deficiency.  In  short,  it  has  been  tried  and  conclu- 
sively found  to  be  impracticable  :  and  will,  therefore,  it  is  to 
be  hoped,  for  the  sake  of  humanity,  never  be  attempted 
again. 

Mr.  Percival,  in  speaking  of  this  disease,  adds,  that 
"  cataract  being  almost  invariably  a  sequel  of  inflammatory 
action,  and  various  other  parts  being  at  the  same  time  like- 
wise the  seat  of  disease,  it  is  rarely  unaccompanied  with 
morbid  alterations  in  other  textures  :  in  fact,  it  too  often  hap- 
pens that  there  is  a  total  disorganization  of  the  whole  globe. 
Unless,  therefore,  we  can  perform  miracles  as  well  as  opera- 
tions, and  restore  all  these  altered  parts  to  their  pristine  con- 
dition, we  had  better  never  think  of  handling  a  cataract 
knife." 

In  purchasing  a  horse,  great  care  should  be  taken  in  exa- 

8* 


84 

raining  the  eyes.  "  In  these  inspections,"  observes  the  above 
authority,  "  we  should  not  depart  satisfied  with  barely  looking 
into  the  organ  :  we  ought  to  compare  one  eye  with  the  other  ; 
mark  the  prominence  of  the  membrana  nictitans  ;  the  trans- 
parency and  convexity  of  the  cornea  ;  the  pellucidity  of  the 
aqueous  humour ;  the  colour  and  brilliancy  of  the  iris  ;  the 
colour,  figure,  and  size  of  the  pupil ;  the  magnitude,  black- 
ness, and  prominence  of  the  corpora  nigra  ;  and  last,  but 
not  least  of  all,  repeatedly  mark  the  activity  with  which 
the  pupil  alters  its  dimensions,  on  suddenly  emitting  light  to 
the  eye." 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that,  for.  so  scientific  an  exa- 
mination of  this  organ,  a  man  must  be  truly  eminent  in  the 
veterinary  art.  But  still  with  a  little  care  sufficient  may  be 
learned  to  know  good  eyes  from  bad,  and  those  that  may  have 
a  tendency  to  become  so. 

I  had  a  superbly  shaped  filly  by  The  Colonel  quite  blind 
with  the  near  eye,  and  nearly  so  with  the  right  ;  and  yet  it 
would  have  taken  a  tolerable  judge  to  have  discovered  the 
defects  ;  so  perfect  did  both  her  eyes  appear  at  even  more  than 
a  careless  glance.  The  malady,  unfortunately  for  me,  was 
constitutional  in  its  origin,  although  local  in  the  consequences. 

The  following  are  unfavourable  symptoms  of  the  eye,  and 
give  note  of  the  coming  of  this  terrible  disease : — "  A 
sunken  or  gloomy  aspect  of  the  eye  altogether,  compared 
with  the  other ;  prominence  of  the  membrana  nictitans ;  a 
watery  state  of  the  eye;  dimness  of  the  cornea,  particularly 
around  its  margin  ;  dulness  or  discoloration  of  the  iris  ;  cor- 
pora nigra  yellowish  or  spotty  ;  pupil  smaller  than  the  other; 
perhaps  hazy  or  milky,  or  containing  a  minute  white  speck 
in  its  centre,  which  is  incipient  cataract." 

I  have  said  already,  that  this  chief  cause  of  blindness  in 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  85 

horses  has  its  origin  in  inflammation.  Like  many  other  dis- 
eases in  horses,  as  in  ourselves,  this  may  be  hereditary;  and 
I  strongly  advise  never  to  breed  by  any  stallion  or  from  any 
mare  that  has  lost  an  eye,  except  a  known  (not  asserted  only,) 
accident  has  occasioned  the  loss.  Horses  that  are  seldom 
stabled,  not  kept  on  high  food,  and  their  vascular  system 
never  excited  with  fast  work,  like  cart  horses,  are  seldom 
afflicted  with  cataract;  perhaps  I  might  say  never;  for  I 
have  riot  heard  of  a  case,  except  it  was  constitutional. 

The  artificial  state  in  which  horses  are  kept;  the  hot,  and 
sometimes  ill  ventilated  stable;  the  over  exertion  and  exited 
state  of  their  vascular  system  ;  want  of  condition  for  the  fast 
work  that  they  are  put  to ;  taking  them  from  a  cold  tempera- 
ture, and  placing  them  suddenly  in  a  warm  one ;  are  the  lead- 
ing and  principal  causes  of  inflammation  which,  in  the  sequel, 
produce  cataract. 

It  is  truly  unfortunate,  and  is  almost  conducive  to  despair, 
when  we  see  inflammation  has  seized  the  eye  of  a  horse ;  foi 
although  there  are  many  remedies  applicable  to  the  disease, 
yet  few,  very  few,  experience  teaches  us,  will  produce  a 
cure.  Except  the  inflammation  be  caused  by  an  external 
injury,  the  chances  are  twenty  to  one  that,  in  the  end,  the 
horse  will  go  blind.  The  effects,  for  a  time,  frequently  yield 
to  the  treatment;  but  they  will  generally  return,  disappear, 
and  return  again  ;  and  so  on,  until  total  blindness  take  place. 

This,  however,  must  not  deter  us  from  an  attempt  to  com- 
bat with  the  disease.  Active  physic  should  be  given  imme 
d iately.  Bleed  copiously ;  and  let  every  means  be  adopted  to 
reduce  the  insidious  inflammation.  A  seton  in  the  cheek, 
or  a  rowel  in  the  jaw,  is  a  safe  issue  for  its  escape;  and  a 
few  drops  of  laudanum  in  the  eye  will  allay  the  irritation. 

Fomentations  with  hot  water,  too,  should  be  constantly  ap 


86  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

plied.  When  this  course  has  been  strictly  observed,  and  the 
eye  is  lost  notwithstanding,  the  consolation  will  be  left,  that 
all  has  been  done  within  the  power  of  man  to  save  it. 

Not  the  least  among  the  diseases  to  which  horse-flesh  is 
heir,  may  be  ranked  the  troublesome  one  of  curbs.  Hunters 
are  more  subject  to  them  than  horses  of  another  kind  ;  curbs 
being  for  the  most  part  created  by  violent  exertion  of  the 
hind  legs,  in  carrying  weight,  at  a  rapid  pace,  through  deep 
ground ;  and  also  from  the  effects  of  leaping. 

A  curb  is  an  enlargement  at  the  back  of  the  hock,  about 
three  or  four  inches  below  the  point  of  the  hock.  It  is  either 
a  strain  in  the  ring-like  ligament  which  binds  the  tendons 
down  in  their  place,  or  in  the  sheath  of  the  tendons ;  oftener  of 
the  ligament  than  the  sheath.  Any  sudden  action  of  the 
limb,  of  more  than  usual  violence,  may  produce  it;  and  there- 
fore horses  are  found  to  throw  out  curbs  after  a  hardly  con- 
tested race,  an  extraordinary  leap,  a  severe  gallop  over  heavy 
ground,  or  a  sudden  check  in  the  gallop.  Young  horses  are 
particularly  liable  to  them,  and  those  that  are  cow-hocked; 
as  in  the  latter  the  annular  ligament  must  be  continually  on 
the  stretch,  to  confine  the  tendon. 

Being  produced  by  inflammation,  the  cause  must  be  re- 
moved previously  to  getting  rid  of  the  effect;  and  this,  it  is 
needless  to  say,  is  the  visible  swelling,  varying  in  size,  which 
is  called  the  curb.  Formerly  it  was  a  general  practice  to 
apply  repellent  lotions.  Equal  portions  of  wine,  water  and 
vinegar  afford  an  excellent  application,  as  a  lotion  of  this 
kind.  But  generally  speaking,  I  think  it  an  unnecessary 
preliminary.  Cold  mashes,  a  gentle  dose  of  physic,  alter- 
atives, and  a  mild  blister,  repeated  as  often  as  circumstances 
will  admit,  until  the  swelling  disappears  and  the  horse  goes 
sound,  are  the  certain  and  most  speedy  measures  to  be  taken. 


ON    THE    CONDITION  OF    HUNTERS.  87 

Sometimes  in  very  severe  cases,  the  iron  may  be  neces- 
sary; but  it  never  should  be  used  until  the  repeated  blistering 
has  been  tried. 

There  are  few  complaints  in  which  absolute  and  long-con- 
tinued rest  is  more  requisite  than  in  a  curb.  An  injury  like 
this  leaves  the  parts  very  materially  weakened;  and,  if  the 
horse  be  soon  put  to  work  again,  the  lameness  will  frequent- 
ly return.  No  horse  that  has  had  curbs  should  be  put  even 
to  ordinary  work  in  less  than  a  month  after  the  apparent 
cure  ;  and  even  then  he  should  very  gradually  resume  his  for- 
mer habits. 

Splents  are  harmless  enough,  when  properly  treated  at  an 
early  stage;  but  if  neglected,  and  the  horse  is  in  the  habit  of 
striking  or  catching  them  in  his  action,  they  will  prove  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  be  got  rid  of,  without  the  application  of 
the  absolute  cautery. 

A  splent  is  a  callous  substance,  or  an  insensible  swelling, 
which  adheres  to  the  shank  bone,  and,  when  it  grows  big* 
spoils  the  shape  of  the  leg.  When  throwing  it  out,  a  horse 
frequently  becomes  lame;  but  that  state  of  the  bone  which 
causes  the  lameness  seldom  continues  long,  nor  does  it  pro- 
duce permanent  lameness.  The  treatment  formerly  was  to 
bruise  and  puncture  the  affected  part  and  then  to  rub  some 
blistering  ointment  into  it.  But,  like  many  other  antiquated 
notions  and  errors  of  the  old  school  in  farriery,  that  mode  of 
treatment  is  never  followed  in  the  present  age  ;  the  blister 
alone  being  the  usual  remedy-  Lameness  from  a  splent  may 
sometimes  be  removed  by  rolling  a  bandage  of  linen  wet 
with  Goulard  or  saturnine  lotion,  round  the  leg,  and  keeping 
it  constantly  wet. 


88  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

SATURNINE  LOTION. 

Superacetate  of  lead,  -  -  -  -  -  1  oz. 
Vinegar,  .-..„„  .4  Oz. 
Water, -  1  pint, 

A  spavin  is  a  bony  excrescence,  or  crust  as  hard  as  a  bone, 
that  grows  on  the  inside  of  the  hough.  This  is  often  not  very 
observable  :  but  it  occasions  a  peculiar  kind  of  lameness, 
\vhich  cannot  be  mistaken  ;  that  is,  a  quick  catching  up  of 
the  leg,  especially  in  trotting.  The  lameness  diminishes,  and 
sometimes  appears  to  go  off,  with  exercise  :  but  after  resting 
some  time,  the  horse  becomes  very  stiff  and  lame.  The  only 
rernedy  for  this  disease  is  firing,  and  blistering  immediately 
afterwards  ;  the  blister  alone  being  insufficient.  But  in  cases 
where  the  lameness  has  been  considerable,  and  after  a  certain 
time,  these  will  be  found  inadequate  for  a  cure.  The  horse 
may  then  be  deemed  permanently  lame. 

A  great  deal  of  useless  torture  has  been  practised  in  the 
attempt  to  eradicate  this  disease.  It  maybe  taken  for  granted, 
however,  that,  after  an  effective  firing  and  good  charges  of 
the  blistering  ointment,  all  that  can  be  done  has  been  done  ; 
and  further  torture  inflicted  is  wanton  cruelty. 

Bog  spavin  is  a  milder  form  of  the  disease.  Like  the  one 
above  described,  it  is  a  swelling  on  the  inside  of  the  hock 
rather  towards  the  fore  part ;  the  large  vein,  which  is  so 
conspicuous  on  the  inside  of  the  leg,  passing  over  it.  It  de- 
pends upon  a  distention  or  rupture  of  the  membranes  which 
form  the  synovial  cavity,  or  bursa  mucosa,  through  which  the 
great  flexor  tendon  passes.  The  swelling  is  soft  and  yield- 
ing to  the  pressure  of  the  finger ;  but  rises  again  as  soon  as 
the  pressure  is  removed.  Sometimes  there  is  a  swelling  on 
t^e  outside  of  tjie  Jiock  also  ;  and  in  that  case,  the  fluid,  or 


ON   THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  89 

synovia,  which  it  contains  may  be  forced  from  one  to  the 
other.  It  is  generally  produced  by  hard  work,  or  violent  exer- 
tion for  a  short  period.  It  often  exists,  however,  in  a  slight 
degree,  without  occasioning  any  inconvenience  ;  and  then  it 
is  better  to  leave  it  alone :  but  should  it  create  lameness  and 
stiffness  of  the  joint,  severe  corrosive  blistering  will  generally 
remove  the  cause  ;  and  if  not,  the  iron  must  be  applied,  as  a 
last  resource. 

Thorough-pin  is  very  like  Bog  or  blood  spavin  in  effect, 
and  may  be  treated  in  precisely  a  similar  way.  Many  old 
hunters  have  this  disease  in  the  hock.  If  it  does  not  inter- 
fere with  their  work,  it  is  better  to  leave  it  alone. 

Windgalls  are  soft,  yeilding,  flatulent  tumours  full  of  cor- 
rupt fluid  or  synovia,  which  come  upon  each  side  of  the  fet- 
lock joints.  Why  they  should  have  been  originally  called 
windgalls,  I  cannot  say  ;  except  from  a  false  supposition  that 
they  were  inflated  with  air,  instead  of  being  filled  with  matter. 
They  seldom  appear  in  legs  formed  of  the  best  materials  ; 
and  lameness  is  but  seldom  the  result  from  them.  Blister- 
ing, firing,  and  rest,  are  the  means  of  cure  ;  but  where  no  in- 
convenience is  felt  these  are  better  dispensed  with.  To  keep 
the  legs  bandaged  is  advisable. 

Strangles  is  the  only  innate  disease  to  which  the  horse  is 
subjected.  Every  one,  more  or  less,  is  afflicted  with  it,  at 
an  early  stage  of  his  existence,  generally  speaking.  The 
treatment  of  it  is  very  simple.  As  the  essence  of  the  disease 
consists  in  the  formation  and  suppuration  of  the  tumour  under 
the  jaw,  the  principal,  or  almost  the  sole  attention  should  be 
directed  to  the  hastening  of  these  processes.  A  few  cooling 
medicines,  as  nitre,  emetic  tartar,  and,  perhaps,  digitalis, 
should  be  given,  according  to  the  severity  of  the  attack. 
The  part  where  the  strangles  appear  may,  if  the  tumour  does 


90  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

not  suppurate  so'quickly  as  may  be  desired,  be  actively  blis- 
tered :  but  this  is  not  generally  requisite.  Bran  mashes,  very 
loose  and  cold,  cut  grass,  and  tares,  should  be  liberally  sup- 
plied ;  which  will  keep  the  bowels  gently  open.  In  cases 
of  great  debility,  not  unfrequently  the  consequence  of  this 
disease,  a  small  quantity  of  tonic  medicine,  a  camomile  and 
gentian  with  ginger,  in  doses  of  a  couple  of  drachms,  may  be 
administered.  If  there  be  much  fever,  and  evident  affec- 
tion of  the  chest, — which  should  carefully  be  distinguished 
from  the  oppression  arid  choking  occasioned  by  the  pressure 
of  the  tumour, — it  will  be  proper  to  bleed. 

Previous  to  leaving  the  treatment  of  the  common  injuries 
and  diseases  to  which  the  horse  is  subjected,  I  shall  state  the 
means  to  be  adopted  when  the  kidneys  are  seized  with  in- 
flammation. This  is  a  very  common  disorder ;  and  is  fre- 
quently caused  by  riding  or  driving  a  horse  immoderately,  by 
straining  the  loins :  but  they  may  become  inflamed  in  conse- 
quence of  peritonseal  inflammation  of  the  bowels.  The  symp- 
toms of  the  disorder  are,  a  constant  desire  to  make  water ; 
and  the  small  quantity  only  which  is  discharged  being  dark 
coloured  or  blo,ody.  There  is  great  stiffness  of  the  hind  parts 
generally  more  observable  in  one  leg  than  in  the  other. 
The  horse  often  stands  straddling  or  wide,  as  if  endeavour- 
ing to  make  water;  evincing  painful  and  ineffectual  efforts. 
This  appearance  often  leads  the  groom  to  think  that  it  is  a 
stoppage,  and  that  a  diuretic  is  necessary :  but  the  fact  is,  that 
the  coloured  or  bloody  urine  is  so  stimulating,  or  acrimonious, 
that  the  bladder  contracts  violently  in  order  to  force  out  the 
smallest  quantity  that  gets  into  it. 

This  disorder  may,  like  most  others,  happen  in  various 
degrees ;  but  still  the  treatment  is  the  same.  It  sometimes 
occurs,  however,  that  the  urine  becomes  foul  and  stimulating, 


ON  THE  CONDITION  OF  HUNTERS.  91 

from  high  feeding.  In  this  case  the  bladder  will  contract 
upon  a  small  quantity  of  urine;  and  the  urine  may  be  rather 
high  coloured,  like  beer,  or  turbid,  like  whey ;  and  the  horse 
may  strain  a  little  in  voiding  it:  but  this  is  very  different 
from  those  distressing  symptoms  which  attend  inflammation 
of  the  kidneys ;  and  it  is  unaccompanied  with  loss  of  appetite* 
or  any  degree  of  fever,  which  is  always  present  in  inflam- 
mation of  the  kidneys.  When  the  urine  becomes  thus  stimu- 
lating, some  cold  mashes  and  an  infusion  of"  linseed  is  a  good 
drink  for  a  horse.  Grass,  vetches,  nitre,  and,  indeed,  any 
thing  of  such  a  relaxing  and  cooling  influence,  may  be  ad- 
ministred  with  a  beneficial  effect.  But  When  there  is  con- 
firmed inflammation,  it  is  necessary  to  let  blood  freely,  with- 
out delay;  and  to  open  the  bowels  with  a  clyster  of  warm 
water  and  a  strong  dose1  of  castor  oil.  The  loins  should  also 
be  rubbed  well  with  some  warm  embrocation,  Such  a's  harts- 
horn and  oil,  with  a  little  oil  of  turpentine ;  and  a  fresh  sheep- 
skin, the  flesh  side  under,  should  be  placed  across  them. 
The  same  regimen  should  be  observed  in  this  as  in  the 
milder  form  of  the  disease. 

Nitre,         -        •*        --        -        -        .-        .-        -      4  dr. 

Carbonate  of  soda,     -        *        *        *        -        -Ido. 

Or  Chalk,  -        *        *        ;         -        -        -      2  do. 

Mixed  for  one  dose. 

This  powder,  given  twice  a-day  for  two  or  three  successive 
days,  and  keeping  the  horse  chiefly  on  cold  sloppy  mashes 
when  his  urine  is  only  thick  and  turbid,  and  there  is  a  slight 
difficulty  in  voiding  it,  will  be  found  efficacious. 

Powdered  resin,       -  *        *        -        -        -  2  dr. 

Levigated  antimony,  *..*•-*-  .8  do. 

Chalk,     -  2  do. 

Nitre,      -        *        •<  -        -        -        .        .  3  do 

Mixed  for  one  dose. 
9 


92  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

This  is  a  more  powerful  dose ;  and  may  be  given  as  frequently 
as  the  former,  in  cases  of  much  difficulty  in  voiding  the 
urine,  and  where  there  is  no  necessity  for  the  more  active 
measures  before  stated.  I  am  inimical  to  the  fleam,  except 
in  cases  where  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  efficacy  of  its 
use. 

If  these  powders  appear  to  disagree  with  the  stomach, 
they  should  be  discontinued;  and  the  cordial  diuretic  will,  in 
all  probability,  act  as  a  rectifier. 

CORDIAL  DIURETIC  BALL. 

Hard  soap, 4  dr. 

Turpentine,       ----...4  do. 
Ginger,     -------        -l  do. 

Opium, -        -        -       £do. 

With  powdered  caraways  enough  to  form  the  ball. 

Diuretics  should  not  be  given  so  as  to  operate  upon  the  horse 
in  work  ;  as  he  may  want  to  stale,  and,  being  prevented  from 
so  doing,  great  mischief  may  arise.  From  neglecting  this 
precaution,  and  from  their  frequent  and  immoderate  use,  the 
kidneys  are  often  materially  injured,  as  well  as  the  bladder. 

I  have  now  given,  as  far  as  I  think  is  requisite  for  the  in- 
struction and  assistance  of  the  sportsman,  all  the  principal 
subjects  connected  with  The  Hunter.  In  the  simplest  lan- 
guage that  I  could  use,  and  in  the  most  comprehensive  form 
that  I  could  devise,  I  have  (with  the  assistance  of  the  authori- 
ties referred  to)  treated  the  various  matters  under  conside- 
ration, in  their  respective  places;  and,  from  the  hour  of  his 
birth  to  his  sinking  in  the  vale  of  honourable  years,  I  trust, 
and  believe,  not  a  detail  of  importance  has  been  allowed  to 
escape  my  research  and.  observation. 


THE  AGE  OF  HORSES.  93 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  AGE  OF  HORSES. 

IF  there  were  no  visible  effects  by  which  the  age  of  horses 
could  be  ascertained  with  certainty,  it  is  quite  clear  that 
there  could  be  no  such  prizes  as  "  produce  stakes."  The  no- 
torious frauds  lately  attempted  in  the  Running-rein,  Blood- 
stone, and  other  cases,  prove  beyond  a  doubt  what  men  would 
say  and  swear  to  in  such  matters.  We  should  continually 
have  three-year-old  horses  winning  as  two-year-old,  and  four- 
year-old  horses  as  three-year  old.  These  "  wretched  frauds," 
as  they  were  properly  termed  by  the  judge  in  the  Orlando 
trial,  would  be  but  little  short  of  an  every-day  occurrence. 
By  the  way,  I  should  much  like  to  witness  the  expression 
of  certain  visages,  if,  by  some  talismanic  power,  the  age  of 
a  few  living  horses  could  be  learned.  There  can  be  no  rea- 
sonable doubt  whatever,  that  many  stakes  have  been  carried 
off  by  horses  far  more  advanced  in  the  vale  of  years  than 
the  qualification  admitted.  This  description  of  swindling  has 
met  with  its  success  as  well  as  its  defeat:  and  althongh,  from 
recent  discoveries,  public  suspicion  is  awakened,  I  have  no 
hesitation  in  saying,  that  both  results  will  take  place  again. 

The  horse,  if  humanly  treated,  will  live  to  a  great  age. 
The  best  time  of  his  life,  provided  he  has  not  been  rattled  and 
over-weighted  in, his  infancy,  is  from  five  to  ten  years  old  ; 
although  there  are  many  instances  of  horses  being  as  good  as 


94 

ever,  to  a  much  later  period  of  life.  I  possessed  a  horse 
which  I  rode  when  a  child,  so  small  and  puny  that  a  servant 
had  to  hold  me  on  the  pig-skin  ;  and  I  rode  this  same  animal 
fifty-four  miles  in  eight  hours,  when  I  was  twenty-six  years 
of  age;  a  lapse  of  time,  between  the  two  events,  of  twenty 
years:  the  horse  being  then  in  his  twenty*ninth  year,  This 
is  an  extraordinary  instance  of  a  horse  lasting;  but  many  of 
my  friends  remember  "  George,  the  old  chestnut/' 

The  age  of  a  horse  may  be  discovered  by  certain  marks 
in  the  front  teeth  of  his  under  jaw,  until  he  is  eight  years  old, 
about  which  period  they  are  generally  worn  out.  Between 
the  second  and  third  year,  a  colt  begins  to  change  his  sucking 
or  colt's  teeth,  as  they  are  termed,  for  permanent  teeth,  which 
are  larger,  and  of  a  different  form  and  colour.  The  sucking 
teeth  are  small  and  of  a  delicate  white.  When  a  colt  is 
three  years  old,  or  between  the  second  and  third  year,  he 
changes  his  two  front  teeth  above  and  below.  Between  the 
third  and  fourth  year,  the  two  next  are  changed ;  and  be- 
tween the  fourth  and  fifth  year,  the  two  next  or  corner  teeth 
are  changed.  About  the  end  of  the  fourth  year,  or  a  little 
later,  the  tushes  appear.  Mares  have  seldom  any  tushes. 

At  five  years  old  the  horse  has  a  full  mouth  of  permanent 
or  horse  teeth  and  the  corner  teeth  are  those  by  which  the 
age  is  ascertained  after  that  period.  They  have  a  remarka- 
ble hollow  or  shell-like  appearance  when  they  first  come  up; 
but  by  the  time  the  horse  has  completed  his  fifth  year,  they 
have  acquired  some  size,  and  look  more  like  the  other  teeth. 
There  is  a  cavity  on  their  upper  surface,  at  this  period,  of  a 
dark  or  black  colour.  At  six  years  old  the  cavity  is  much 
diminished,  and  at  seven  it  is  still  less.  At  eight  it  has  dis- 
appeared ;  or,  if  it  remains,  it  resembles  the  eye  of  a  bean, 
tushes  at  five  years  old  have  two  concavities  withinside, 


THE  ACS  OF  HORSES.  05 

converging  upwards,  and  terminating  in  the  point  of  the 
tooth.  At  six,  one  of  these  concavities  is  lost;  that  is  the 
one  next  the  grinder.  At  seven,  the  other  is  diminished, 
but  not  quite  gone.  At  eight,  it  is  generally  gone,  but  not 
always.  After  this  age,  the  tush  gets  more  round  and  blunt. 
These  are  the  changes  by  which  the  horse's  age  is  deter- 
mined ;  but  they  are  subject  to  variations,  and  there  is  no 
certain  method  of  ascertaining  the  age  of  a  horse  after  six. 

The  length  of  the  teeth  is  no  criterion  whatever ;  nor  can 
the  countenance  be  depended  on,  until  the  horse  becomes 
old  and  gray. 

The  general  signs  of  age,  unconnected  with  the  teeth,  are 
easily  distinguishable.  The  head  grows  lean  and  fine  ;  the 
hollow  over  the  eyes  sinks  deeper ;  the  cheeks  become  lank ; 
the  gums  and  soft  palate  pale  and  shrunk ;  gray  hairs  make 
their  appearance  in  various  places,  more  particularly  over  the 
eyes  and  about  the  face.  The  neck  becomes  thin  and  fine  ; 
the  withers  get  sharp,  and  give  an  appearance  of  increased 
length  and  obliquity  to  the  shoulder.  The  back  sinks ;  the 
quarters  assume  a  more  blood-like  turn,  and  seem  to  lengthen. 
Tumours  of  all  kinds,  spavins,  splents,  windgalls,  &c.  be- 
come in  part  or  wholly  absorbed.  The  legs  feel  sinewy  and 
free  from  puff,  though  they  may  evince  instability  and  weak- 
ness. It  is  not  often  that  we  meet  with  horses  with  these 
effects  of  time  and  long  servitude.  Horses  are  generally 
worn  out  long  before  they  appear. 

I  have  heard  some  excellent  judges  doubt  whether  the 
state  of  the  mouth  be  an  infallible  test  of  the  age  of  a  horse, 
at  any  period  of  his  life  after  two  years  old.  It  is  well  known 
that  the  mouths  of  horses  vary  in  appearance.  Some  have 
them  fuller  than  others  at  the  same  period  of  life  ;  and  the 
teeth  of  horses  differ  greatly  in  their  nature.  Treatment,  too, 

9* 


96 

has  much  to  do  with  the  appearance  of  the  mouth.  A  horse 
kept  on  hard  meat  for  a  considerable  period,  and  one  kept 
on  soft  or  green  food,  will  exhibit  a  very  material  difference 
in  the  teeth.  The  former  will  be  more  worn,  and  have  an 
older  effect  than  the  latter. 

These  remarks  apply  to  horses  called  "  aged."  The  age 
of  a  horse  can  be  ascertained  to  the  greatest  nicety  by  his 
mouth,  until  he  has  completed  his  fifth  year.  After  this 
period  I  would  not  take  upon  myself  to  say,  that  an  error 
might  not  very  easily  be  committed.  But  between  two, 
three,  and  four  years  old,  the  capacity  must  be  worse  than 
ordinary,  with  a  little  practical  knowledge,  that  could  not  de- 
pide  the  age  of  a  horse. 


BOOK  II. 


ON  HUNTING  AND  HOUNDS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  SLIGHT  COMMENTARY  ON  HUNTING  AND  HOUNDS. 

MEN  who  go  to  the  covert-side,  "  trimmed  like  younkers 
prancing  to  their  loves,"  for  the  sole  purpose  of  riding  and 
showing  themselves,  know  little  about  hounds,  and  care  less. 
So  as  their  patience  is  not  wearied  with  a  long  find,  and  the 
pace  is  quick  when  "  the  varmint"  is  unkenneled  or  whip- 
ped from  the  gorse,  they  take  little  farther  interest  in  the  pack 
"  that  make  the  welkin  answer  them."  Now,  although  a 
few  of  the  Goths  sneer  at  the  elegant  and  neat  appointments 
of  the  gentleman,  as  he  presses  toe  in  stirrup,  and  looks  as 
particularly  dressed,  and  his  toilet  made  with  as  much  care, 
as  if  he  were  about  to  enter  a  drawing-room,  I  could  never 
join  in  the  expression  of  contempt  for  such  adornment  of  the 
person.  We  have  heard  innumerable  anecdotes  related  of 
the  roughness  of  our  sporting  ancestors  ;  not  in  reference  to 
the  peculiarities  of  their  wardrobes  alone,  but  also  to  the  want 
of  refinement  in  their  phraseology.  But  no  such  roughnesses 


98  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

in  the   present  day   are    regarded  as  indications  of  gentle 
blood. 

Nimrod  relates  the  following  anecdote  of  one  of  the  old 
school.  "  The  late  Mr.  Forrester  of  Willy  Hall,  in  Shrop- 
shire, who  hunted  that  country  for  many  years,  gave  his 
coverts,  when  far  advanced  in  life,  to  a  pack  of  fox-hounds 
set  up  in  his  neighbourhood  by  some  farmers.  Having  rid- 
den out  one  day  to  see  them,  he  was  asked  how  he  liked 
them  ?  c  Very  much,  indeed,'  replied  the  veteran  :  l  there 
was  not  one  d — d  fellow  in  a  white-topped  boot  among 
them.'  " 

This  may  be  all  very  well,  as  an  incentive  to  a  smile  ;  but 
I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  "  the  white  tops  "  of  the 
age  we  live  in  could,  without  the  most  trifling  exertion,  show 
the  dark-brown  and  mahogany  ones  their  heels.  Men  ride 
both  bolder  and  better  than  in  those  days  when  the  fox  was 
disturbed  in  picking  his  early  break-fast  off  a  nice  young 
rabbit,  and  before  the  lark  had  shaken  the  dew-drops  from 
her  wings.  And  this  is  easily  to  be  understood.  The  pace, 
no  one  disputes,  is  very  much  increased  ;  and  horses,  to  live 
well  with  hounds,  must  be  equal  to  it :  for  it  is  one  thing  to 
be  with  them,  and  quite  another  to  be  after  them.  A  father, 
ambitious  that  his  hopeful  heir  should  occupy  the  woolsack, 
and  who  once  indulged  in  the  fond  hope  that  the  present 
chancellor  was  airing  it  for  the  future  head  of  the  family, 
remarked,  shaking  his  sage  head,  "  My  son  follows  the 
law  ;  but  I  fear  that  he  will  never  overtake  it."  To  be 
mounted  upon  a  thorough-bred  flyer  in  the  condition  in 
which  a  horse  is  brought  to  the  post,  and  to  ride  him  at 
racing  pace  "  o'er  hill  and  dale,  o'er  moor  and  mead." 
taking  every  thing  that  it  may  please  Heaven  to  send,  with- 
out a  moment  to  weigh  the  probability  of  breaking  one's  neck 


ON  HUNTING  AND  HOUNDS.  99 

at  any  yawner  or  rasper  that  chance  may  present, — requires 
both  bolder  and  better  riding  than  jogging  after  a  gorged  fox, 
with  the  slow  hounds  of  former  times,  when  it  occupied 
"hours  "to  kill  him.  lam  not  going  to  enter  upon  the 
subject  as  to  which  method  afforded  the  most  sport,  being 
not  sufficiently  grizzled  with  age  to  judge  by  experience  of 
those  times  of  old;  but  I  wish  to  show,  that  my  white-topped 
brothers  in  the  field  have  not  become  the  milk-and-water, 
effeminate  things,  unworthy  of  the  name  of  sportsmen,  which 
the  sneers  of  gentlemen  of  the  old  school  might  occasion- 
ally lead  the  uninitiated  to  suppose  them  to  be.  These 
gentlemen  of  antiquated  notions  are  apt  to  curl  their  upper 
lips  at  the  revolution  effected  in  hunting.  But  whether  their 
riding  to  covert  at  sunrise,  wearing  down  their  fox  by  noon, 
drinking  three  bottles  per  man,  and  becoming  oblivious  of 
their  sinful  commissions  and  omissions  as  the  earliest  cock 
mounted  his  perch  to  sleep,  was  more  desirable  than  Young 
England's  rules,  too  well  known  to  need  description,  I  shall 
leave  as  a  matter  for  the  nice  consideration  of  speculators. 

I  can  see  no  objection  whatever  to  the'  refined  taste 
evinced  in  "  the  pomp  aud  circumstance "  attending  the 
chase  ;  and  I  greatly  admire  a  well-equipped  sportsman.  In 
my  humble  opinion,  there  should  be  as  much  care  bestowed 
upon  his  appointments  as  upon  those  of  a  soldier  going  on 
duty.  But,  if  I  am  an  advocate  for  attention  being  bestowed 
upon  his  outward  man,  I  am  far  from  being  a  backer  of  that 
dandy  he-haw  nondescript,  who  rides  to  covert  in  his  gingerly 
bit  of  pink  booted  and  spurred,  knowing  and  caring  no  more 
about  hounds  and  hunting  than  a  man-milliner.  This  kind 
of  watering-place  lion,  who  patronizes  the  hunt  that  he  may, 
in  riding  in  and  out.  attract  the  admiring  gaze  of  "the  gals," 
derives  no  more  pleasure  from  fox-hunting  than  a  monkey 


100 

does  from  blistering  his  jaws  with  hot  chestnuts.  He 
professes  to  be  an  ardent  admirer  of  the  sport,  for  ''fashion 
sake;"  but  in  reality  feels  no  more  delight,  as  the  gallant 
hound  opens  on  the  drag,  than  if  he  howled  from  a  tin-kettle 
being  tied  to  his  tail ;  and,  perchance,  not  quite  so  much  ; 
for,  this  description  of  sport  he  might  possibly  understand. 

It  is  not  for  such  mock  sportsmen  that  the  Sportsman's  Li- 
brary is  intended.  For  them  it  will  have  no  interest.  It  is 
for  the  assistance  of  the  real  sportsman,  as  a  book  of  reference, 
and  the  instruction  of  the  zealous  lyro  in  sporting  matters, 
that  these  pages  are  designed.  I  may  therefore,  be  allowed, 
for  the  benefit  of  the  latter,  to  enter  into  such  minutiae  regard- 
ing the  subjects  coming  under  our  notice,  as  I  may  consider 
necessary  for  his  information. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  hunter,  I  shall  commence  with  the 
breeding  of  the  Fox-hound.  Although  the  stag-hound,  har- 
rier, and  beagle,  will  be  noticed  in  turn  ;  yet,  in  this  particu- 
lar, the  same  rules  apply.  It  will  be  needless,  therefore,  to 
repeat  them. 

The  same  observations  apply  to  the  breeding  of  the  hound 
as  to  the  breeding  of  the  horse.  Great  care  should  be  taken 
that  there  be  no  constitutional  defects  in  the  stock  from  which 
the  progeny  is  to  be  derived.  An  old  dog  should  not  be  put 
to  an  old  bitch ;  and  all  are  to  be  rejected  whose  points  of 
symmetry  are  not  good,  and  whose  characters  are,  that  they 
are  rioters,  babblers,  and  skirters. 

The  points  of  a  hound  are, — head  small  in  proportion  to 
his  frame;  neck  thin,  chest  deep,  legs  very  straight :  his  feet 
should  be  round,  not  large;  his  breast  wide,  back  broad, 
shoulders  back,  elbows  in,  and  quarters  deep.  The  muzzle 
should  be  long ;  but  I  dislike  what  may  be  called  a  pointed 
nose. 


ON  HUNTING  AND  HOUNDS.  101 

Nowhere  does  the  fox-hound  arrive  at  such  perfection  as 
in  England.  The  climate  is  most  congenial  to  his  nature ; 
and  when  taken  to  either  more  southern  or  more  northern 
latitudes,  he  degenerates,  and  quickly  loses  the  qualities  he 
possesses  in  this  country.  Somerville  says, 

In  thee  alone,  fair  land  of  liberty, 
Is  bred  the  perfect  hound,  in  scent  and  speed 
As  yet  unrivall'd  ;  while,  in  other  climes, 
Their  virtue  fails, — a  weak  degenerate  race. 

In  the  remotest  period  of  our  history,  hunting  is  mentioned 
as  the  principle  diversion  of  our  forefathers ;  and  it  forms  a 
somewhat  singular  exception  to  the  laws  of  mutability,  which 
appear  to  govern  all  things  beneath  the  moon,  that,  notwith- 
standing the  changes  of  laws,  customs,  usages,  religion,  go- 
vernments, habits,  occupations,  and  of  every  thing  of  every 
kind  connected  with  the  inhabitants  of  Great  Britain,  there 
is  no  time  when  the  ardour  for  the  chase  abated.  Instead 
of  slackening,  it  seems  to  have  descended  with  increased 
vigour  to  the  present  day. 

Dio  Nicasus,  in  speaking  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  north- 
ern parts  of  this  island,  says,  that  they  were  a  fierce  and  bar- 
barous people,  who  tilled  no  ground,  but  lived  upon  the  food 
they  obtained  by  hunting,  and  by  pillage  of  the  southern  dis- 
tricts. 

After  the  expulsion  of  the  Danes,  and  during  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Saxon  monarchy,  the  sports  of  the  field  still  main- 
tained their  ground.  Edward  the  Confessor,  who  was  more 
suited  for  the  cloister  than  the  throne  would  join  in  no  secular 
amusement  but  the  chase.  This,  however,  he  took  great 
delight  in,  and  "loved  to  follow  a  pack  of  swift  hounds  in 
pursuit  of  game,"  says  William  of  Malmsbury,  "  and  to 
cheer  them  with  his  voice. 'y 


102  THE  SPORTMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

William  the  Conqueror,  and  his  two  sons  who  succeeded 
him,  were  greatly  devoted  to  the  chase  ;  and  increased  the 
restrictions  concerning  the  killing  of  game.  The  right  of 
hunting  in  the  royal  forests  was  confined  to  the  king  and 
his  favourites.  To  render  these  coverts  more  extensive,  and 
to  make  new  ones,  whole  villages  were  depopulated. 

King  John,  the  lying  dastard,  was  particularly  attached  to 
the  sports  of  the  field,  and  was  seldom  without  a  falcon  on 
his  wrist.  By  way  of  payment,  in  lieu  of  money,  he  used  to 
receive  horses,  hounds,  and  hawks,  for  the  renewal  of  grants, 
fines,  and  forfeitures,  belonging  to  the  crown. 

Edward  III.  took  so  much  delight  in  hunting,  that  even 
at  the  time  he  was  engaged  in  war  with  France,  and  resi- 
dent in  that  country,  he  had  with  him  sixty  couple  of  stag- 
hounds,  and  as  many  for  hunting  the  hare  ;  and  every  day  he 
amused  himself  with  hunting  or  hawking. 

James  I.  preferred  the  amusement  of  hunting  to  hawking 
or  shooting.  It  is  said  of  this  monarch,  that  he  divided  his 
time  between  his  standish,  his  bottle,  and  his  hunting.  The 
last  had  his  fair  weather ;  the  two  former,  his  dull  and  cloudy. 

I  might  quote  innumerable  passages  in  the  poetical  and 
prose  writings  of  the  last  three  centuries,  proving  that  this 
favourite  pastime  has  lost  nothing  of  its  relish,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  is  more  generally  practised.  To  return,  however, 
to  the  subjects  of  more  immediate  interest  and  importance. 
The  Talbot  is  stated  to  be,  and  there  is  no  doubt  whatever  of 
the  truth  of  the  assertion,  the  original  stock  from  which 
every  kind  of  hound  has  been  bred.  This  majestic  animal, — 
now  becoming  extinct,  and  as  regards  his  pristine  beauty 
and  noble  powers  of  strength  and  endurance,  I  believe, 
quite  so, — was  used  by  the  ancient  Britons  in  the  pursuit 
of  the  larger  kinds  of  game,  with  which  the  country  at  one 


ON  HUNTING  AND  HOUNDS.  103 

time  abounded.  Rut  these  becoming  scarce  as  civilization 
progressed,  and  the  plough  becoming  an  implement  more  in 
vogue  than  the  spear  and  cross-bow,  it  was  necessary  to  get 
fleeter  dogs  to  run  down  the  game  in  wide,  open  districts, 
which  took  the  place  of  dense  woods  and  forests.  The  tal- 
bot  was  therefore  crossed  with  lighter  dogs,  for  the  purpose 
of  increasing  his  speed.  And  thus  it  is,  that,  in  a  long  suc- 
cession of  years,  and  by  the  greatest  skill,  care,  and  manage- 
ment, we  have  hounds  adapted,  in  size,  pace,  and  power,  to 
every  description  of  game  that  we  pursue. 

It  must  consist  with  the  memory  of  many  now  living,  that 
hounds  of  the  present  day  are  a  very  different  kind  of  animal 
from  what  hounds  were,  not  longer  ago  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  Then,  a  larger,  heavier,  and  slower  hound  was  in 
use,  with  dew-lapped  jowl,  and  long  pendulous  ears.  This 
was  what  was  called  the  southern  breed ;  which,  in  fact,  ap- 
proached nearer  to  the  original  stock  of  the  talbot ;  and,  al- 
though by  no  means  fast,  this  hound  possessed  exquisite  sense 
of  smelling,  and  his  cry  was  melodious  in  the  extreme.  Al- 
though quick  enough  for  our  ancestors,  who  knew  nothing  of 
railroads,  and  were  content  to  travel  in  heavy  drags  by  easy 
stages,  the  southern  breed  was  discovered  to  be  not  fast 
enough  for  the  increasing  pace  of  the  age.  And  so,  by  de- 
grees, the  breed  was  crossed,  till  at  length  the  stamp  of  hound 
was  obtained  which  now  leads  us  like  skimming  clouds  be- 
fore a  gale,  and  scarcely  gives  time  for  echo  to  throw  back 
the  challenge  of  his  tongue. 

By  the  many  it  is  supposed  that  the  animal  we  call  a  fox- 
hound is  designed  by  nature  to  hunt  foxes  exclusively  ;  but 
this  is  a  popular  error.  The  hound,  from  his  own  natural 
instinct,  (and  this  applies  to  every  kind,)  will  run  any  thing 
with  scent  that  will  flee  before  him.  It  is  from  tuition  alone, — 
10 


104 

by  being  entered  at  and  blooded  to  a  particular  description 
of  game,  cheered  to  pursue  it,  rated  and  flogged  when  he 
hunts  any  other,  that  the  hound  acquires  the  qualities  which 
belong  to  the  class  for  which  he  is  designed.  No  one  yet 
saw  a  puppy,  in  his  first  rudiments  of  education,  but  what 
would  hunt  rabbit,  hare,  fox,  or  any  thing  that  he  might 
chance  to  find;  or,  the  sooner  that  he  is  strung  up  on  the  first 
convenient  branch,  the  better:  for  it  is  easy  to  stop  him  when  in 
error;  but  it  is  quite  impossible  to  instil  the  dash  and  spirit 
of  hunting  into  him,  by  any  artificial  means.  I  like  to  see  a 
wild  puppy,  ready  to  tear  his  eyes  out  through  the  gorse,  at 
the  first  glance  of  the  scent  of  a  coney.  I  then  know  that 
there  is  the  right  stuff  in  him ;  and  if  the  steel  wants  temper- 
ing a  little,  time,  patience,  and  perseverance  will  effect  the 
desired  object.  But,  if  I  see  a  tame-looking,  timid  wretch, 
slinking  about  the  outskirts  of  a  covert,  and  taking  no  notice 
whatever  of  hares  or  rabbits  that  may  bolt  under  his  nose ; 
my  mind  is  made  up  at  once,  that  there  is  no  cure  for  him  but 
the  halter. 

February  and  March  are  the  best  months  for  breeding ;  as 
late  puppies  seldom  thrive.  After  the  bitches  become  big 
with  young,  they  should  be  no  more  hunted;  nor,  indeed,  per- 
mitted to  remain  longer  in  the  kennel.  The  mothers  must  be 
kept  well,  on  a  liberal  supply  of  flesh,  meal,  and  milk ;  or  do 
not  expect  the  litter  to  thrive.  The  puppies  should  not  be 
weaned  until  they  are  well  capable  of  taking  care  of  them- 
selves ;  and  when  they  are  so,  some  purging  medicine  should 
be  given  them  twice  or  thrice  during  the  first  week,  on  alternate 
days,  and  plenty  of  whey  on  the  intermediate  day.  Should 
a  bitch  have  a  small  litter,  and  another  can  take  her  puppies 
without  distressing  her  own,  it  will  enable  the  former  to  be  in 
work  again  quickly.  She  should,  however,  be  well  physicked 


ON  HUNTING  AND  HOUXDS.  105 

first,  and  her  dugs  should  be  rubbed  twice  a-day,  for  a  week, 
with  brandy  and  water ;  or  with  brine,  which  I  have  found 
efficacious  in  drying  up  the  milk. 

Whelps  are  liable  to  the  distemper;  the  common  disease 
to  which  all  dogs  are  more  or  less  subject.  This  very  fre- 
quently makes  great  havock  among  them,  at  their  walks ;  and 
therefore  a  greater  number  should  be  bred  than  are  wanted 
to  keep  up  the  complement  of  the  pack.  Besides,  those 
who  breed  the  greatest  number  of  young  hounds,  are  sure  to 
have  the  most  perfect  packs  ;  as  such  a  course  affords  the  best 
choice  in  drafting  them. 

Young  hounds  should  be  fed  twice  a-day,  as  they  seldom 
take  kindly  to  the  kennel-meat  at  first;  and  the  old  ones  are 
certain  to  prevent  their  getting  their  fair  allowance,  even 
should  they  feel  inclined  to  take  it,  if  they  are  not  fed  sepa- 
rately. When  they  answer  to  their  names,  and  are  on  terms 
of  intimacy  with  the  huntsman,  they  should  be  taken  out,  a 
few  at  a  time,  with  their  attendants  on  foot;  as  they  are 
awkward  at  first,  and  will  not  like  to  follow  a  horse.  At 
their  entrance,  they  cannot  be  encouraged  too  much.  It  is 
quite  time  enough  to  begin  to  rate  and  chastise,  when  they 
love  a  scent  and  know  the  difference  between  right  and 
wrong.  Steady  old  hounds  should  be  taken  out  with  the 
young  ones,  as  instructors;  and  but  small  coverts  and  furze 
brakes  be  drawn,  as  the  extensive  ones  will  give  trouble  in 
getting  them  out  again,  and  the  object  at  first  is  to  teach  them 
obedience  to  the  halloo.  When  their  appetites  are  sufficiently 
whetted  to  enjoy  a  scent,  and  they  run  improper  game,  they 
should  be  stopped  and  brought  back;  and  while  a  hound 
obeys  the  rate,  he  must  never  taste  the  thong.  Too  many 
old  hounds  should  not  be  kept.  Those  that  have  hunted  five 
or  six  seasons  should  be  drafted,  to  make  room  for  younger 


106  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

and  more  capable  ones.  At  the  same  time,  if  it  were  not  for 
the  expense  of  the  arrangement,  no  young  hounds  should  be 
taken  into  the  pack  the  first  season.  When  the  season  is 
over,  the  best  of  "the  greens"  are  to  be  taken  into  the  pack; 
and  the  old  worn-out  hounds  drafted  from  it. 

With  regard  to  the  size  of  the  hound,  I  like  neither  a  large 
hound  nor  a  small  one  ;  (I  am  speaking  of  those  designed 
for  fox-hunting  :)  but,  so  long  as  his  shape  may  be  good,  size 
is  a  secondary  consideration.  A  level  pack — that  is,  unifor- 
mity of  size — has  a  much  handsomer  appearance  than  one 
composed  of  direct  opposites.  As  hounds  too  should  run 
together,  like  a  body  with  many  heads,  it  is  scarcely  possible 
that  they  can  do  so,  if  their  shape  and  size  vary  to  a  very 
great  extent.  I  have  seen,  however,  some  excellent  sport 
with  hounds  not  remarkable  for  uniformity  of  size  ;  and  yet 
their  running  was  sufficiently  even  to  pull  down  their  fox 
in  superlative  style.  A  pack,  considered  in  a  collective 
body,  go  fast  in  proportion  to  the  excellence  of  their  noses, 
and  the  head  they  carry.  The  pack  that  can  run  a  given 
distance  in  the  shortest  time  may  be  said  to  go  fastest ;  though 
the  hounds  taken  separately  might  be  considerably  inferior 
to  others,  in  point  of  swiftness. 


THE  KENNEL.  107 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  KENNEL. KENNEL  MANAGEMENT,  &C. 

THE  condition,  health,  and  preservation,  of  the  hound  de- 
pends as  much  upon  his  kennel,  as  those  of  the  horse  depend 
upon  his  stable.  As  in  the  case  of  the  latter,  the  ornamental 
construction  signifies  nothing ;  but  dryness,  fresh  air,  and, 
above  every  thing,  cleanliness,  are  of  vital  importance.  So 
indispensable  is  the  latter  virtue,  that  no  continuance  of  con- 
dition in  hounds,  and,  consequently,  excellence  in  the  field, 
can  be  had  without  it.  Hounds  are  by  nature  hateful  of  filth ; 
and,  as  if  aware  of  its  baneful  effects,  will  never  dung  near 
\vhere  they  lie.  Hounds,  like  all  other  animals  confined  in 
numbers  together,  are  more  liable  to  diseases  than  the  same 
Animal  in  a  state  of  unrestrained  liberty.  Frequently,  under 
the  best  and  most  judicious  management,  they  are  attacked 
by  various  complaints ;  and  therefore  it  behoves  all  whose 
duty  it  is  to  attend  to  "the  house  at  home,"  to  lose  sight  of 
no  preventive  of  the  assault  of  disease. 

It  is  quite  clear  that,  unless  the  kennel  is  so  constructed 
that  it  can  be  kept  dry,  free  from  damp,  well  ventilated,  and 
a  good  supply  of  water  be  furnished,  no  attention  of  the  feeder 
or  kennels-man  is  sufficient  to  keep  the  hounds  healthy. 

Perhaps  in  England  there  are  not  two  kennels  alike,  either 
in  architectural  design  or  the  space  occupied  by  them.  To 
say  therefore,  from  any  precedent,  what  the  form  or  dimen- 
sions of  a  kennel  should  be,  is  not  in  my  power ;  but  this  I 

10* 


108  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

can  say,  that  the  kennel  should  be  constructed  with  a  view 
to  the  health  of  its  inmates,  and  in  accordance  with  the 
number  of  hounds  designed  to  be  maintained.  Those  who 
become  possessed  of  kennels,  generally  keep  them  in  the 
form  in  which  they  fall  into  their  hands :  but  such  as  erect 
new  ones  should  be  particular  in  selecting  a  proper  site,  as 
regards  the  dryness  of  the  soil,  the  facilities  for  obtaining 
plenty  of  good  water,  and  protection  from  cold,  cutting  winds, 
and  exposure  to  the  heat  of  the  sun  at  noontide.  Under  the 
lee  of  a  thick,  sheltering  wood,  or  at  the  base  of  a  hill,  fre- 
quently may  be  found  nice  shady  and  protected  spots  for 
building  a  kennel. 

In  large  and  regularly  hunted  packs,  two  kennels  are  indis- 
pensable for  the  well-being  of  the  whole.  When  there  is 
only  one,  it  can  but  seldom  be  cleaned  in  winter  ;  and  the 
hounds  are  in  a  comfortless  state  from  dampness  so  long  as 
it  remains  so.  In  saying  that  the  size  of  the  kennel  should 
be  in  accordance  with  the  number  of  hounds  designed  to  be 
maintained,  I  was  referring,  with  all  charitable  intent,  to  the 
outlay :  for  a  kennel,  for  the  preservation  of  the  health  and 
condition  of  hounds,  can  scarcely  be  too  large.  I  have  seen 
one  that  might  be  deemed  unneccessarily,  not  injuriously  so, 
out  of  the  many  that  I  have  visited  ;  and  I  remarked  at  the 
time,  seeing  that  every  pail  of  water  used  had  to  be  pumped 
from  a  well  some  thirty  or  forty  yards  from  the  outside,  that 
if  there  had  been  less  expenditure  in  bricks,  flags,  and  mor- 
tar, and  greater  in  obtaining  an  easier  and  more  generous  sup- 
ply of  the  limpid  element,  a  decided  improvement  would 
have  been  effected. 

The  best  constructed  kennel,  taking  it  in  every  point  of 
view,  that  I  have  seen,  is  that  belonging  to  His  Grace  the 
Duke  of  Rutland,  at  Belvoir  castle ;  although  there  are 


THE  KENNEL. '  109 

others  upon  a  grander  scale.  The  superb  edifice  of  the  Duke 
of  Richmond  at  Goodwood,  cost  no  less  a  sum  than  thirteen 
thousand  pounds,  in  its  erection.  His  Grace  was  his  own 
architect  and  builder  ;  and  the  magnificent  design,  and  the 
perfection  of  its  arrangements,  show  how  capable  he  was  of 
accomplishing  his  task. 

The  distribution  of  the  building  is  in  five  compartments  : 
two  of  them  thirty-six  feet  by  fifteen  ;  and  three  more,  thirty 
by  fifteen.  In  each  of  these  are  openings  at  the  top,  for  the 
admission  of  external  air  when  necessary  :  and  stoves,  to 
qualify  the  air  when  too  cold.  There  are  supplies  of  water, 
and  drains  into  a  tank  of  great  depth  below,  full  of  rain 
water;  from  the  surface  of  which,  to  the  rise  of  the  earth,  is 
eleven  feet :  so  that  no  unpleasantness  arises  from  stench  ; 
and  the  whole  can  be  occasionally  cleared  off  by  drains  to 
more  dependent  depths  and  dung  pits,  where  it  becomes 
contributory  to  the  purposes  of  agriculture.  Round  the 
whole  pavement,  five  feet  wide,  airing  yards,  places  for 
breeding,  and  other  conveniences  make  a  part  of  each  wing. 
To  produce  a  uniformity  of  elegance,  neatness,  and  perfec- 
tion, the  huntsman  and  whipper-in  have  each  a  parlour, 
kitchen,  and  sleeping-room,  appropriated  to  their  own  par- 
ticular purposes. 

The  Duke  of  Bedford's  is  an  immense  establishment,  upon 
a  scale  of  too  great  an  extent  for  particular  description;  as  it 
includes  tennis  court,  riding  house,  &c.  £c.  In  one  stone- 
fronted  building  of  two  hundred  and  sixty-six  feet  in  length, 
there  are  stalls  for  thirty-six  hunters,  and  eleven  loose  boxes 
for  sick  or  lame  horses.  The  kennel  is  in  length  four  hun- 
dred and  five  feet;  having  the  boiling  house  in  the  centre, 
with  feeding  rooms  adjoining,  and  a  granary  behind.  On  the 
right  of  the  centre  are  apartments  for  two  kennel-keepers,  two 


110  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

long  lodging-rooms  for  the  hunting  hounds;  with  flues  run- 
ning along  the  wall,  to  preserve  an  equal  temperature  in  the 
seventy  of  the  winter  season ;  spacious  courts  to  each,  fur- 
nished with  a  fountain  in  the  middle,  for  the  hounds  to  drink 
at ;  and  water  cocks  fixed  at  proper  distances,  to  cleanse  the 
pavement  when  it  may  be  required.  Adjoining  to  these,  are 
seven  hospitals  for  sick  and  lame  hounds,  with  yards  to 
each.  On  the  left,  are  divisions  for  litter,  straw,  and  stores 
of  any  kind  ;  with  eleven  apartments  for  bitches  and  puppies, 
and  yards  to  each.  There  are,  also,  eleven  of  a  similar  de- 
scription, for  bitches  in  pup;  and  a  large  division  for  bitches 
at  heat.  In  the  front,  is  a  reservoir  of  water  which  sup- 
plies the  fountains  and  different  cocks  in  the  several  yards 
within.  Behind  the  whole,  is  a  large  airing  ground,  flesh- 
house,  and  all  requisite  conveniences.  The  huntsman's 
dwelling  is  a  handsome  building  adjoining.  The  number 
of  hunting  hounds  kept  in  the  kennel,  is  usually  from  sixty 
to  seventy  couples. 

Without,  however,  holding  up  these  costly  and  superb 
establishments  as  the  standard  to  be  followed,  I  have  merely 
borrowed  a  description  of  them,  to  show  the  perfection 
that  can  be  arrived  at,  when  money  is  no  object,  and  the 
design  is  from  the  experienced  eye  of  genuiue  sportsmen. 
The  essentials  in  a  kennel,  for  the  health  and  condition  of 
hounds,  may  be  recapitulated  shortly  in  these  words;  cleanli- 
ness, warmth,  ventilation,  dryness,  good  water,  and  sufficient 
room  for  the  number  of  hounds  to  be  maintained. 

Next  to  the  structure  of  the  kennel,  the  management  of 
hounds  when  there,  becomes  a  matter  of  great  consideration. 
Whatever  the  means  and  appliances  may  be,  unless  the 
feeder  can  be  trusted  for  faithfully  performing  his  particular 
duties,  they  will  be  of  little  avail.  He  should  be  indefatigably 


THE  KENNEL.  Ill 

industrious,  punctual  in  his  attendance,  humane,  sober,  and 
proud  of  having  his  hounds  in  a  state  always  fit  for  the  in- 
spection of  his  employer.  I  think,  as  in  the  case  of  a  groom 
with  his  horses,  unless  there  be  a  pride  felt  in  getting  and 
keeping  the  animals  that  the  feeder  has  under  his  care  into 
praiseworthy  condition,  there  is  little  chance  of  his  doing  his 
duty  with  credit.  In  a  very  great  degree  the  health  and 
preservation  of  the  hounds  depend  upon  the  constant  atten- 
tion of  the  feeder.  Their  organs  of  smell,  or,  at  least,  the 
exquisite  parts  of  the  sense,  depend  upon  their  condition ; 
and  unless  their  noses  be  kept  free  from  the  contaminating, 
foul,  and  unwholesome  stench  of  a  badly  kept  kennel,  no 
excellence  can  be  expected  in  the  field.  The  absolute  ne- 
cessity, therefore,  for  the  very  nicest  care  in  keeping  the  ken- 
nel sweet  and  clean,  cannot  be  too  strongly  impressed  upon 
the  mind  of  the  feeder.  Unless  he  evinces  a  disposition 
strictly  to  observe  this  rule,  he  is  not  at  all  fitted  for  his 
office. 

Two  persons  should  always  be  in  attendance  at  feeding 
time  ;  and  these  should  be  the  huntsman  and  the  feeder  ;  as 
hounds  require  to  be  fed  in  accordance  with  their  state  of 
flesh  and  condition.  Some,  too,  are  more  voracious  than 
others,  and  will  require  twice  the  quantity  that  is  sufficient 
for  the  less  greedy,  to  look  and  work  well  upon.  It  is  the 
huntsman  who  should  discriminate  between  these  opposite 
descriptions  ;  in  want  of  which  attention,  the  pack  will  never 
be  of  equal  appearance.  When  any  of  the  hounds  are  seen 
to  be  low  in  flesh,  and  poor  feeders  ;  or  when,  as  very  often 
will  be  the  case,  they  are  observed  to  be  kept  under  by  the 
old  and  master  hounds,  they  should  be  drafted,  and  permitted 
to  feed  without  restraint  by  themselves. 

Boiling  the  flesh,  mixing  the  meal,  getting  it  ready  by  the 


112  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

time  fixed  by  the  huntsman,  should,  of  course,  never  be  ne- 
glected. Mr.  Beckford  states,  that  his  feeder,  who  was  a 
good  one,  and  of  much  experience,  mixed  equal  quantities  of 
oat-meal  and  barley-meal ;  boiled  the  oat-meal  for  half  an 
hour ;  and  then  added  the  barley-meal,  without  boiling  it ; 
and  mixed  both  together.  His  reason  given  for  boiling  one 
and  not  the  other  was,  that  boiling  made  the  oat-meal  thick, 
and  the  barley-meal  thin ;  and  that,  when  he  fed  the  hounds 
with  the  latter  only,  he,  in  consequence,  never  put  it  into  the 
copper,  but  mixed  it  up  with  the  scalding  liquor  in  a  proper 
tub,  or  hogshead,  kept  for  the  purpose. 

Besides  the  mere  keeping  the  kennel  in  a  fit  and  proper 
state,  and  preparing  the  food,  the  feeder  has  other  duties  to 
perform  :  although  it  is  one  of  the  huntsman's  to  render  him 
assistance.  After  the  hounds  return  from  hunting,  their  feet 
should  be  examined,  to  see  if  they  have  received  injuries 
from  thorns  or  flints ;  in  which  case  they  should  be  fomented 
with  hot  water  with  some  bran  in  it ;  and  afterwards  with 
cold  vinegar  and  water,  or  water  with  some  salt  and  alum 
in  it. 

In  some  kennels,  there  are  tepid  baths,  in  which  the 
hounds  have  a  dip  after  their  return  from  their  work.  In 
the  Duke  of  Beaufort's  kennel,  there  is  one.  The  tepid  bath 
greatly  tends  to  the  comfort  and  refreshment  of  the  hounds, 
provided  there  are  means  to  have  the  lodging-room  warm 
for  their  reception  afterwards :  otherwise  it  is  far  better  to 
let  them  roll  and  lie  in  plenty  of  clean  straw,  without  having 
the  bath. 

It  formerly  was  a  custom,  to  shut  hounds  up  after  their 
return  to  the  kennel,  for  two  or  three  hours,  previously  to 
feeding  them.  Such  a  practice,  however,  has  become  quite 
obsolete ;  and  well  it  may  be ;  for  a  greater  absurdity  was 


THE  KENNEL.  113 

never  practised.  As  I  remarked  in  the  case  of  the  hunter, 
when  his  work  is  done,  the  sooner  the  animal  is  rendered 
comfortable,  and  is  left  in  quiet  to  repose,  the  better  ;  and 
this  cannot  be  effected  until  he  be  fed.  The  meat  should  be 
ready  for  feeding  by  the  hound's  return  ;  and  it  should  be 
given  to  them  immediately,  or  as  soon  as  they  have  passed 
the  examination  of  their  feet,  and  had  (if  they  are  to  have  it) 
their  warm  bath. 

I  am  as  great  an  advocate  for  the  use  of  warm  water  in 
the  kennel,  as  I  am  for  its  application  in  the  stable.  Wash- 
ing hounds  I  am  quite  certain  is  the  readiest  method  of  re- 
covering them  from  fatigue,  and  getting  rid  of  stiffness  and 
other  ills  to  which  their  fast  work  render  them  liable :  but,  if 
they  must  be  turned  into  a  cold,  damp  lodging-house  after- 
wards, washing  is  much  better  omitted.  When  their  appetite  is 
satiated,  they  can  enjoy  their  rest  undisturbed;  and  the  sooner 
they  are  enabled  to  do  so,  the  better  will  it  be  for  them. 

Mr.  Beckford  is  of  opinion  that  hounds  poorer  than  the  rest 
should  be  fed  again;  and,  if  they  are  off  their  appetites,  they 
cannot  be  fed  too  often.  Those  hounds  which  become  too 
fat,  should  be  drafted  off,  and  not  permitted  to  fill  them- 
selves. 

All- hounds,  more  particularly  young  ones,  should  often  be 
called  over  in  kennel ;  which  renders  their  names  familiar 
to  them,  and  teaches  them  that  excellent  quality,  obedience. 
This  lesson  should  be  given  at  the  time  that  they  are  best 
prepared  to  receive  it;  and -that  is  at  the  hour  of  feeding. 
To  keep  the  kennel  as  free  from  filth  as  possible,  hounds 
should  be  let  into  the  airing  ground  after  feeding;  in  order 
that  they  may  empty  themselves,  and  that  an  unnecessary 
accumulation  in  the  kennel  may  be  prevented. 

To  prevent  mange,  morbidity  of  the  blood,  and  cutaneous 
diseases  attendant  upon  this  state,  only  a  small  measure  of 


114  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

substantial  food  should  be  given  during  the  hot  months, 
when  hounds  do  not  work,  compared  to  what  is  necessary 
in  the  severity  of  the  hunting  season.  Flesh  must  be  given 
with  a  sparing  hand ;  or  the  mange  will,  in  all  probability, 
make  its  appearance.  Plenty  of  vegetables,  boiled  in  the 
meat  copper,  once  a-week,  is  a  general  practice  in  the  ma- 
jority of  kennels;  and  very  conducive  to  the  health  of  hounds. 
A  pound  or  two  of  sulphur  is,  also,  occasionally  added ;  and 
that  is  a  fine  preventive  of  the  diseases  of  the  blood  in  the 
summer  season. 

There  are  different  opinions  concerning  the  best  and  most 
economical  food  for  the  maintenance  of  hounds,  and  the 
method  of  preparing  it.  Perhaps  the  causes  of  this  varia- 
tion may  be  discovered  in  the  particular  experience,  whim, 
caprice,  or  judgment  of  the  parties  concerned  :  but  the  prin- 
cipal articles  upon  which  hounds  subsist  are  oat-meal  and 
barley-meal,  horse-flesh,  greaves,  raspings,  and  paunches. 
There  can  be  no  doubt,  after  fair  trial,  that  the  two  meals 
act  much  more  profitably  and  advantageously  in  a  mixed 
state,  of  nearly  equal  proportions,  than  when  either  is  given 
alone ;  and  there  cannot  be  a  question  about  the  impropriety 
of  boiling  the  barley-meal.  This  should  be  scalded  only,  in 
the  liquor;  while  the  oat-meal  should  be  boiled  in  it. 

When  the  huntsman  returns  in  a  state  similar  to  that  of 
his  hounds,  weary,  fatigued,  and  flat,  with  the  steel  of  his 
strength  arid  courage  spent,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  he 
is  in  a  condition,  physically  or  mentally,  to  take  upon  him- 
self the  active  duties  in  the  kennel ;  but  he  should  see  that 
they  be  strictly  performed.  He  is  responsible  to  his  master 
for  their  fulfilment ;  and  there  should  be  no  deputy  overseer 
between  him  and  the  feeder. 

In  kennel  management,  too,  the  eye  of  the  master  will  be 


THE  KENNEL.  115 

found  of  very  great  assistance  in  keeping  the  arrangements 
in  a  proper  state.  Indeed,  unless  servants,  however  well 
disposed  they  may  be,  find  that  they  are  censured  in  their 
neglect,  and  praised  on  being  found  attentive,  the  per- 
formance of  their  duties,  perhaps  imperceptibly  to  them- 
selves, will  become  slovenly,  and  but  little  pride  will  be  felt 
even  in  their  proper  fulfilment.  The  most  humble  as  well 
as  the  highest  occupations  in  life  have  their  tributaries  to 
ambition  ;  and  frequently  a  kind  word  of  approval  or  a  smile 
of  satisfaction,  from  a  prized  master,  is  an  ample  reward  to 
a  worthy  servant,  for  more  than  ordinary  exertions. 
I  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  a  few  directions  how 

TO  BLEED  A  DOG. 

A  dog  may  be  conveniently  bled  by  the  jugular  or  neck 
vein,  with  a  fleam,  or  with  a  common  lancet:  but  the  latter 
is  much  to  be  preferred.  A  ligature  being  put  round  the 
lower  part  of  the  neck,  and  the  head  being  held  wpr  the  vein 
will  swell  and  protrude  itself  on  each  side  of  the  windpipe, 
about  one  inch  from  it.  It  will,  however,  be  necessary  to 
cut  the  hair  away  previously,  if  very  thick ;  after  which  the 
puncture  can  be  easily  made  with  a  lancet,  the  operator 
leaning  over  the  dog.  Nothing  is  necessary  to  stop  the 
bleeding,  but  to  remove  the  ligature ;  nor  is  any  pin,  plaster, 
or  bandage  for  the  orifice,  requisite.  When  circumstances 
render  it  necessary  to  let  blood  immediately,,  and  a  regular 
operator  is  not  present ;  or  when  the  amateur  is  called  upon 
to  bleed  his  own  dog  suddenly,  as  in  the  field  when  the 
means  of  venesection  by  the  neck  are  not  at  hand ;  an  ear 
may  be  punctured,  or  an  incision-  made  on  the  inner  side  of 
the  flap  of  it ;  choosing,  if  possible,,  the  course  of  a  vein  for 
11 


116  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

the  puncture  :  but  avoid  passing  the  instrument  through  the 
ear.  In  desperate  cases,  the  tail  may  be  cut ;  but  when 
this  is  done,  it  is  better  to  cut  off  a  small  piece  merely,  than 
to  make  an  incision;  for  when  this  is  injudiciously  done,  the 
whole  tail  may  mortify. 

The  quantity  of  blood  drawn  must  be  regulated  by  the 
size  of  the  dog.  From  a  very  small  one  two  ounces,  or 
less,  may  be  sufficient ;  from  a  middling-sized  dog  three  or 
four  ounces ;  and  from  a  large  dog,  five,  six,  seven,  or  eight 
ounces;  according  to  the  size  and  strength  of  the  patient, 
and  the  nature  of  the  disease  he  labours  under* 


DUTY  OF  A  MASTER  OF  FOX-HOUNDS.  117 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE  DUTY  OF  A  MASTER  OF  FOX-HOUNDS.  —  THE  HUNTSMAN,  AND 
WHIPPER-IN. 

I  CAN  by  no  exertion  of  my  imaginative  powers,  fancy 
the  expression  of  the  features  of  many  an  M.  F.  H.  whom 
I  have  chanced  to  meet  with  in  my  sporting  rambles,  as  he 
glances  at  the  heading  of  this  chapter. 

"  The  duty  of  a  Master  of  fox-hounds !"  I  think  I  hear 
him  repeat.  "  Egad !  but  it  may  be  briefly  and  readily 
summed  up;"  and,  while  speaking,  he  extracts  a  well-filled 
purse  (provided  that  he  has  not  been  a  wearer  of  his  blush- 
ing honour  for  many  seasons,)  and  empties  its  contents,  to 
the  last  shilling,  upon  the  table  before  him.  "  There,"  con- 
tinues he,  "  that's  the  duty;  and  about  the  only  duty,  indis- 
pensable for  my  performance ;  and  so  long  as  I  continue  to 
shell  out  liberally,  there  will  be  little  fault  found  with  my 
mastership." 

There  is  great  reason  to  believe  the  supposition  to  be 
entertained  by  innumerable  worthy  and  honest  folk,  that  the 
Master  of  Hounds  is,  figuratively  speaking,  a  common  joint, 
or  a  joint  in  common,  which  every  body  has  a  right,  not 
only  to  cut  up  on  all  occasions,  but  to  come  at  again  when- 
ever an  excuse  presents  itself.  If  the  local  race  fund  is  in 
want  of  replenishment,  the  Master  is  about  the  first  victim 
singled  out  for  a  subscription  to  head  the  list.  Should  the 


118 

select  committee  of  the  visiting  society  find  their  funds  fall 
short,  to  him  a  deputation  is  appointed,  to  solicit  his  pro- 
verbially generous  aid.  Should  Scroggins  lose  his  donkey, 
his  cow,  or  his  pig;  or  should  Mrs.  Scroggins  feel  that 
some  coals  and  blankets  might  materially  add  to  the  com- 
fort  of  her  family,  now  on  the  eve  of  an  increase ;  the  Master 
is  the  resource.  And  then  the  quantity  of  poultry  that  is 
victimized  by  predatory  foxes,  the  Master  being  applied  to 
for  ample  reparation  !  Great  Jupiter  knows  the  countless 
flams  that  have  to  be  answered  for,  in  this  great  item  of  the 
sins  and  transgressions  of  frail  and  erring  humanity!  How 
often  is  the  solitary  chick  or  duckling  magnified  into  the 
loss  and  sweeping  abstraction  of  entire  broods  !  Frequently, 
indeed,  is  the  abstraction  of  the  tough  old  turkey,  whose 
age  has  left  her  the  bereaved  mother  of  scores  of  fatted 
victims  sacrificed  at  the  shrine  of  Christmas,  represented  as 
the  loss  of  the  best  and  largest  in  the  flock!  The  duck,  too, 
found  dead  and  crumbling  into  dust  (the  poor  thing  died  of 
the  cramp,  in  addition  to  an  irritating  attack  of  the  pip)  is  of 
course  a  martyr  to  Reynard's  errors  and  want  of  respect 
for  the  laws  and  rights  of  property.  And  thus  it  is,  framing 
the  occasion  in  accordance  with  the  demand,  that  the  Mas- 
ter of  Hounds  is  appealed  to,  in  every  shape,  form,  and 
manner. 

He  must  be  a  gentleman  without  experience  of  the  mani- 
fold annoyances  that  are  part  and  parcel  of  the  distinction, 
who  lays  the  flattering  unction  to  his  vanity  that  its  draw- 
backs are  few.  In  addition  to  his  being  considered  a  public 
bucket  for  every  body  within  the  ring-fence  of  his  country  to 
dip  into,  there  are  other  little  matters  connected  with  the 
honour,  not  without  their  influence  on  the  debit  side  of  the 
account.  However,  to  the  point  of  considering  "  the  duties 
of  a  Master  of  Fox-hounds." 


DUTY  OF  A  MASTER  OF  FOX-HOUNDS.  119 

In  the  first  place,  he  should  be  popular.  Now,  this  per  se 
is  often  a  very  difficult  and  very  expensive  attribute  to  pos- 
sess. The  man  whose  study  it  is  to  please  the  many,  has  a 
task  of  no  easy  description;  and  yet,  unless  a  Master  can 
accomplish  it,  he  can  neither  expect  a  subscription  sufficient 
to  meet  his  expenses,  preservation  of  foxes,  nor  any  thing 
like  an  extent  of  country.  I  should  here  state,  that  I  am 
alluding  particularly  to  the  Master  of  "  a  subscription  pack;" 
for  it  must  be  obvious  that  if  a  gentleman  hunts  his  own 
hounds,  without  receiving  subscriptions,  he  is  not  open  to 
the  same  difficulties,  and  is  not  so  dependent  upon  his 
powers  of  pleasing  every  body.  At  the  same  time,  he  who 
possesses  the  enviable  distinction  of  being  "the  head  of  the 
hunt,"  is  far  from  being  independent  of  his  capacities  of  ap- 
plying what  the  Yankees  call  "  soft  sawder ;"  for  there  are 
no  pains,  penalties,  or  inflictions  for  setting  gins  ;  and  land- 
owners and  farmers  are  not  compelled  to  permit  twenty,  or 
five-and-twenty,  couples  of  hounds  to  draw  a  covert  in  their 
possession,  because  a  fox  may  be  supposed  to  be  ensconced 
within  its  precincts ;  neither  are  they  obliged,  by  any  written 
or  unwritten  law,  to  allow  a  hundred  or  two  of  hors.es  to 
gallop  over  their  land,  and  to  break  down  their  gates,  rails, 
and  fences.  At  the  same  time,  if  the  proper  means  be 
adopted,  such  is  the  love  and  spirit  for  the  chase,  that  ninety- 
nine  out  of  every  hundred  will  gladly  consent  to  the  hunting 
over  their  lands,  and  reck  little  or  nothing  of  the  fair  injuries 
that  may  be  occasioned. 

And  now  we  shall  see  what  these  means  and  appliances 
are.  In  the  foremost  rank,  stands  civility  and  general  cour- 
tesy to  the  field.  That  is  one  of  the  chief  rules  to  be  ob- 
served by  a  Master,  if  his  object  be  to  show  and  enjoy  good 
sport.  We  have  heard  many  curious  stories  related  of  Mas- 
ters of  the  old  school,  provocative  of  mirth,  more  from  their 

11* 


120 

want  of  refinement  than  their  wit,  and  from  roughness  of 
bearing  towards  any  body  and  every  body :  but  the  days  for 
uncouth  manners  and  hard  language  have  passed ;  and  that 
is  an  affront  now,  which  formerly  vsrould  have  been  received 
as  a  good  joke.  Not  a  great  many  years  since,  it  was  the 
settled  opinion,  that  if  a  man  was  a  fox-hunter  he  necessarily 
must  be  a  swearing,  drinking,  reckless  fellow :  but  "  we 
change  and  others  change;"  and  thus  it  is  that  the  world 
becomes  newly  fashioned. 

I  remember  being  out  with  a  well-known  Master,  of  the 
sort  I  am  speaking  of,  when,  as  was  his  custom,  he  lost  his 
temper  on  his  hounds  losing  their  fox.  Anathemas,  male- 
dictions, and  oaths  flew  around  upon  every  man,  thing,  and 
circumstance  within  hailing  distance.  The  huntsman,  un- 
happy wight,  got  more  than  his  usual  share  ;  and,  after  being 
damned  to  a  pretty  considerable  extent,  he  said,  with  a  rueful 
countenance,  "  What  am  I  to  do,  sir?" 

"Damn  ye!"  returned  his  irate  master,  scratching  his  left 
ear,  as  if  in  want  of  a  plea  of  justification;  "why  don't  ye 
damn  me  again?" 

I  would  not  mention  the  name  of  my  friend  for  the  con- 
tents of  the  best  mine  in  all  Peru  ;  but  because  I  abstain  from 
doing  so,  I  trust  the  authenticity  of  what  I  am  about  to  add 
will  not  be  questioned.  Although  very  wealthy,  he  professes 
to  be  the  Master  of  a  subscription  pack :  but  I  know  that  he 
does  not  receive  sufficient  to  pay  for  the  meal  which  his 
hounds  consume  ;  and  when  I  was  with  him  on  the  day  I 
am  alluding  to,  I  saw  a  fine  large  dog  fox  suspended  by  the 
neck  to  the  branch  of  a  tree  in  one  of  the  best  coverts  that 
he  draws.  It  may  be  said,  "Then  why  does  he  not  throw 
up  the  hounds?"  The  answer  is,  that  he  would  as  soon 
throw  up  his  life. 

My  conviction  is,  that  this  state  of  affairs  arises  in  conse- 


DUTY  OF  A  MASTER  OF  FOX-HOUNDS.  121 

quence  of  giving  his  tongue  license,  and  offending  those  on 
whose  aid  and  good-nature  so  much  depends.  He  says  that 
"it  is  a  want  of  spirit;"  and  that  he  does  not  "  meet  with 
support,  on  account  of  the  bad  breed  in  the  country."  If  this 
be  so,  the  spot  must  be  an  isolated  one ;  for  throughout  old 
England,  the  land  of  stout  hearts  and  well-strung  thews  and 
sinews,  the  love  of  hounds  seem  to  be  as  innate  as  the  love 
of  roast  beef  and  plum-pudding;  and  who  will  deny  that  the 
latter  is  an  innate  affection  ? 

To  discountenance  unfair  riding  in  the  field,  and  unneces- 
sarily injuring  fences,  is  a  duty  that  a  Master  owes  to  the 
farmer;  and  if  recompense  should  be  given  for  damage  which 
may  be  unavoidably  occasioned,  it  should  be  done  with  a  good 
grace,  and  a  spirit  of  liberality,  but  not  of  extravagance.  It 
cannot  be  expected  that  farmers  will  preserve  foxes,  if  they 
are  to  be  seriously  injured  by  them. 

Occasionally,  perhaps  often  would  be  better,  to  pay  a  visit 
to  the  kennel,  will  be  of  very  great  advantage.  And  first, 
being  well  acquainted  with  the  duties  to  be  observed  there, 
the  Master  should  permit  no  neglect  to  pass  unnoticed  or  un- 
censured. 

To  observe  a  quiet  demeanour  in  the  field  is  one  of  his 
passive  accomplishments ;  for  if  he  be  noisy,  the  example 
renders  the  field  so :  and  nothing  is  more  likely  to  prevent 
good  sport,  by  rendering  the  hounds  disobedient  to  the  hunts- 
man, making  them  divide,  and  overrun  their  fox,  than  a  set 
of  bawling,  hallooing  fellows  shouting  from  all  quarters  of 
the  compass. 

If  the  Master  interfere  with  the  huntsman's  office,  others 
will  think  that  they  have  a  right  to  do  so.  In  addition  to 
this,  a  huntsman,  if  he  be  worthy  of  his  office,  ought  not  to 
be  interfered  with  in  the  field.  It  is  his  business  to  know  the 
proper  method  to  be  adopted  in  hunting  hounds ;  and  if  he 


122  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

be  not  acquainted  with  it,  he  is  not  fitted  for  the  duty  that 
he  undertakes.  Advice  is,  for  the  most  part,  a  boon  most  un- 
graciously accepted ;  and  considering  that  it  so  often  comes 
in  the  shape  of  a  reproof,  the  wonder  need  not  set  us  all 
*'  a-gape."  It  has  seldom  fallen  to  my  lot  to  hear  a  sugges- 
tion given  to  a  huntsman  in  the  field,  but  that  either  he  was 
fully  aware  of  the  fact,  or  that  it  was  a  palpable  error,  to 
follow  which  would  be  to  commit  himself. 

If  a  servant  does  not  please  his  master,  let  him  be  told  so, 
and  the  why  and  wherefore,  when  the  blood  is  cool.  Hear 
what  he  has  to  say  in  defence,  and  be  impartial  in  your  judg- 
ment ;  not  obstinate  in  your  own  conceit. 

In  fixing  the  meets,  there  should  be  no  favour  shown  to 
suit  a  pai'ty,  so  as  to  create  jealousy.  This  part  of  the  duty 
of  a  Master  should  be  done  with  even-handed  impartiality  ; 
and  for  ihe  purpose  ;  not  for  the  gratification  of  a  whim,  caprice, 
nor  even  the  convenience  of  any  particular  member  of  the 
Jiunt.  I  have  frequently  heard  the  remark,  *' Oh  yes!  the 
fixture  is  made  there,  just  to  suit  so  and  so's  convenience  ;" 
but  this  feeling  is  more  frequently  expressed  when  the  man- 
agement of  hounds  is  confided  to  a  committee.  Then  it  is 
tjiat  the  >yant  of  the  concentration  of  power  is  found,  and  a 
division  of  opinion  leading  to  the  very  essence  of  bad  rule 
and  confusion.  Rare,  indeed,  is  it  that  hounds  are  even  ren- 
dered a  degree  better  than  a  positive  disgrace  to  the  duties 
required  of  them,  when  there  is  a  committee  for  their  govern- 
ment. 

To  return,  however,  to  the  Master,  with  whom  I  have 
nearly  arrived  at  a  halt.  The  leader  in  the  establishment, 
towards  whom  the  humblest  menial  connected  with  it  should 
look,  with  submission  to  his  suggestions,  in  the  full  confidence 
that  they  are  right,  should  be  a  thorough  sportsman.  If  he 
be  not  that,  his  distinction  will  sit  uneasily  upon  him ;  and, 


DUTY    OF   THE    HUNTSMAN. 


123 


far  from  being  conducive  to  his  pleasure,  it  will  frequently 
be  a  worrying  cause  of  annoyance,  and  his  management  a  task 
of  irksome  labour. 

I  must  here  observe,  nevertheless,  that  if  a  gentleman  be 
fitted  for  the  office ;  and  study,  observation,  and  experience 
will  render  him  so;  there  is  no  appointment,  perhaps,  more 
gratifying  than  the  mastership  of  a  crack  pack  of  fox- 
hounds, with  an  extensive  country  well-preserved,  and 
ample  funds  to  meet  the  expenses. 

The  qualities  to  be  desired  in  a  Huntsman  may  be  de- 
scribed in  a  very  few  words;  at  the  same  time,  it  will  be 
my  particular  duty  to  enlarge  upon  their  details  in  succes- 
sive order.  He  should  be  possessed  of  a  good,  robust  con- 
stitution, iron  nerves  with  the  toughness  of  wire,  activity  of 
body,  quickness  of  apprehension,  a  ringing,  musical  voice, 
and  a  good  ear. 

In  my  observations  on  kennel  management,  I  stated  what 
is  requisite  to  be  done  in  his  capacity  there  (the  superin- 
tendence of  the  whole,  and  his  responsibility  for  the  proper 
general  course  to  be  observed  on  every  occasion;)  and, 
therefore,  I  shall  confine  myself  to  those  things  that  he 
ought  to  do,  and  to  those  things  that  he  ought  not  to  do,  in 
the  field. 

Although  it  is  a  received  maxim  that  it  is  safer  to  take 
time  by  the  forelock,  and  to  be  a  few  minutes  before  is  often 
the  means  of  success;  yet,  at  the  place  fixed  as  the  meet, 
the  huntsman  should  never  be  a  second  in  anticipation  of  the 
hour  named.  He  may  be  as  punctual  as  he  can  be:  but  it 
is  better  to  be  rather  behind  time  than  before  it.  Previously 
to  his  leaving  the  kennel,  it  should  be  decided  what  course 
he  is  to  take,  and  the  coverts  that  he  is  to  draw  in  succes- 
sion. 

Some  countries,  or,  to  be  particular,  parts  of  the  country 


124  THE 

assigned  as  the  limits  of  the  hunt,  may  require  more  hounds 
than  other  localities,  frpm  the  variation  of  the  size  and 
thickness  of  the  coverts.  A  huntsman  should  consider  this, 
previously  to  his  going  into  the  kennel  to  draft  hounds;  and 
also  the  number  of  young  hounds  he  may  venture  to  draft 
with  older  ones.  The  larger  the  coverts  to  be  drawn,  the 
greater  number  of  old  steady  hounds  will  be  required ;  for 
the  difficulties  that  must  necessarily  present  themselves 
should  be  reduced  as  much  as  possible,  by  having  but  a  few 
young  hounds  in  the  pack.  It  should  be  remembered,  how- 
ever, that  unless  the  young  hounds  be  hunted  frequently, 
they  cannot  become  proficient  in  the  art  of  pulling  down  a 
fox,  any  more  than  a  child  can  be  taught  to  spell  without 
an  opportunity  being  given  of  learning  the  alphabet. 

In  drawing  the  coverts,  if  it  be  practicable,  the  huntsman 
should  commence  with  that  which  is  farthest  down  the 
wind;  and  so  draw  up  the  wind,  from  covert  to  covert, 
until  he  finds,  When  this  work  is  being  performed,  he 
should  cheer  his  hounds:  but  there  is  no  necessity  for 
making  a  very  great  noise;  as,  perchance,  a  halloo  may 
not  bp  heard  when  of  the  very  greatest  consequence.  It  is 
not  at  all  unusual  for  huntsmen,  when  their  hounds  are 
drawing  or  are  at  fault,  to  make  so  much  din  themselves  as 
be  to  capable  of  hearing  nothing  else.  This  is  a  great  and 
often  a  fatal  error;  and  it  cannot  be  too  strongly  impressed 
upon  the  minds  of  huntsmen  that  hallooing  cannot  kill  a  fox, 
and  may  be  the  indirect  means  of  losing  him.  Upon  leaving 
the  covert,  the  same  objection  does  not  arise.  A  huntsman 
may  then,  if  such  be  the  bent  of  his  inclination,  stretch  his 
lungs,  and  make  the  regions  far  and  near  ring  to  the  very 
echo.  Let  him  blow  his  horn  like  a  Triton,  and  cry 
"  For'ard !"  to  the  tail  hounds,  provided  the  fox  be  found,  as 
long  and  as  loudly  as  he  pleases.  There  is  one  good  quality 


DUTY  OF  THE  HUNTSMAN. 

that  I  have  observed  in  these  noisy  gentlemen :  their  ten- 
dency to  "kick  up  a  row"  generally  proceeds  from  an  exu- 
berance of  animal  spirits  and  heartiness ;  and  when  they 
possess  this  spur  to  action,  "  activity  "  is  sure  to  be  one  of 
their  redeeming  virtues.  A  slow  huntsman  is  a  sad  damper 
to  hounds;  and  unless  they  have  a  high,  burning  scent,  and 
require  no  assistance  in  killing  their  fox,  it  is,  in  the  graphic 
language  of  a  modern  philosopher,  "  a  horse  to  a  hay-seed '' 
that  they  lose  him.  Without  a  question,  activity  is  the  first 
indispensable  requisite  in  a  huntsman.  The  want  of  it  no 
judgment  can  compensate ;  for  very  frequently  hounds  re- 
quire to  be  helped:  and  as  they  should  at  all  times  be  kept 
forward^  it  is  quite  impossible  that  this  can  be  effected  by  a 
slow  huntsman,  who  invariably  is  himself  behind.  He  should 
be  ready  to  proffer  aid  to  hounds  the  moment  they  are  at 
fault.  A  huntsman,  occasionally,  will  be  thrown  out  of  his 
reckoning :  but  this  will  be  a  rare  occurrence,  provided  he 
possess  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  country*  Such  a  know- 
ledge will  be  a-  very  great  help  to  him;  and  if  he  does  not 
possess  it,  from  want  of  a  sufficiently  long  acquaintanceship, 
very  great  allowance  ought  to  be  made. 

A  huntsman's  place  is  to  be  close  to  his  hounds ;  and  un- 
less he  possesses  nerve  to  ride  straight,  aend  is  well  mounted, 
it  is  quite  impossible  that  he  should  be  at  his  post,  in  a  fast 
and  long  run,  save  by  an  accidental  "  nick  in."  One,  there- 
fore, naturally  timid,  or  whose  fire  is  expended  by  age, 
should  be  shelved ;  but  the  latter,,  at  least,  must  not  be  left 
to  draw  his  pocket  blank,  when  this  measure  becomes  ex- 
pedient^ 

One  of  the  most  common  faults  in  huntsmen  is,  the  undue 
haste  with  which  they  make  their  casts  the  instant  hounds 
are  at  fault.  Time  should  always  be  allowed  .the  hounds  to 
make  their  own  cast;  an-d  vevy  frequently,  if  this  be  given, 


126 

they  will  hit  off  the  scent  themselves.  Instead  of  this, 
hounds  are  rattled  away,  the  very  moment  they  come  to  a 
check ;  a  wide  cast  is  made ;  and,  perhaps,  at  last  they  are 
brought  back  to  the  very  spot  whence  they  were  taken,  to 
try  at  last  what  they  can  accomplish  by  their  own  sagacity. 
Nothing  can  be  more  inconsiderate  than  this;  for  the  scent, 
which  might  have  assisted  them  before,  may  now  be  evapo- 
rated. However,  judicious  casts  are  of  the  very  greatest 
importance,  when  hounds  are  at  fault:  but  there  should  be 
no  undue  hurry  in  making  them. 

"  Let  them  alone,"  I  heard  one  of  the  best  sportsmen  living 
remark,  "is  the  first  rule  in  a  good  huntsman's  category." 

I  am  no  advocate  for  lifting  hounds.  It  is  an  unsports- 
manlike practice.  There  are  some,  however,  whose  object 
is  to  kill  as  soon  as  possible,  and  in  any  form,  so  long  as  it 
is  not  "a  chop."  These  slaughterers  may,  cap  in  hand, 
spur  hard,  and  ride  down  the  fox,  and  boast  of  the  unfair  and 
ignoble  death:  but  a  sportsman  would  scorn  such  a  proceed- 
ing. He  wishes  to  see  the  fox  fairly  found,  (not  shaken  from 
a  bag;)  fairly  run,  and  fairly  killed;  and  then  the  "  whoo- 
whoop  !"  thrills  his  nerves  and  makes  his  blood  leap  through 
his  veins  with  pleasure.  To  all  rules,  however,  there  are 
exceptions;  and  lifting  hounds  is  not  always  improper. 
Hounds  will  naturally  tire  on  a  cold  scent,  when  stopped  by 
a  flock  of  sheep  or  other  impediments  of  a  similar  character; 
and,  when  they  are  no  longer  able  to  get  forward,  will  often 
try  to  run  the  heel.  It  is  useless  to  allow  them  to  pick  a 
cold  scent  through  sheep.  The  fox  is  not  adapting  his  pace 
to  theirs ;  but  is  running  miles,  while  they  are  running,  per- 
haps, scarcely  as  many  furlongs.  He  may  thus  gain  a  dis- 
tance which  cannot  be  retrieved;  and,  therefore,  to  lift 
hounds  through  such  difficulties,  is  not  only  justifiable,  but 
part  of  the  duty  of  a  judicious  huntsman.  It  behoves  him 


DUTY  OF  THE  HUNTSMAN.  127 

always  to  encourage  hounds  to  hunt  when  they  cannot  run  ; 
and  to  prevent  their  unnecessarily  losing  time  by  hunting  too 
much  when  they  might  run.  Still,  there  should  be  no  un- 
warrantable hurry,  preventing  hounds  making  their  own  cast, 
when  they  come  to  a  check. 

To  a  beaten  fox,  hounds  may  be  lifted  ;  for  when  Reynard 
has  shot  his  bolt,  and  his  steel  is  entirely  spent,  it  is  impos- 
sible for  him  to  show  further  sport.  He  may,  by  some  artful 
manoeuvre,  by  creeping  into  an  earth,  or  gaining  the  top  of  a 
thick  hedgerow,  and  lying  up  there,  or  by  some  such  ways 
and  means,  escape  the  jaws  of  his  pursuers,  and  disappoint 
their  greedy  stomachs  of  the  well-earned  morsel :  but  although 
it  is  a  duty  that  a  fox  owes  himself,  to  prolong  his  life  to  the 
longest  span  within  his  power,  yet  hounds  require  blood  ;  and, 
to  be  disappointed  when  tired  with  a  long  run,  and  after 
having  fairly  entitled  themselves  to  it,  is  prejudicial  to  their 
courage. 

When  a  cast  is  made,  it  should  be  perfect  and  complete 
one  way  before  the  huntsman  tries  another.  Time  is  con- 
sumed by  going  backwards  and  forwards :  the  scent  is  get- 
ting cold  by  the  delay,  and  the  difficulty  of  hitting  it  off' 
thereby  increased.  On  making  a  forward  cast  which  is  in- 
effectual, the  huntsman  should  return  as  fast  as  he  can  to  try 
another.  Some  come  slowly  back ;  not  thinking,  in  all  pro- 
bability, that  the  fox  may  then  be  running  many  miles  ahead, 
and  that  every  second  at  check  is  increasing  the  space  be- 
tween him  and  the  hounds. 

On  bad  scenting  days,  it  is  more  especially  necessary  that 
the  huntsman  should  be  near  his  hounds,  to  help  them  for- 
ward. Foxes  will  run  the  roads,  when  they  are  dry  and 
hard,  in  large  coverts  ;  and  if  hounds  be  at  fault,  they  should 
not  be  turned  too  soon,  nor  until  the  huntsman  is  certain  that 
the  fox  has  not  gone  on. 
12 


128 

In  a  country  where  there  are  strong  earths,  a  fox  that 
knows  the  country,  and  tries  any  of  them,  seldom  fails  to  try 
the  rest.  A  huntsman  may  take  advantage  of  this:  they  are 
certain  casts,  and  may  help  him  to  get  nearer  to  his  fox. 

Wide  casts  are  not  killing  ones,  with  a  tired  fox  and  tired 
hounds.  Let  the  hounds  be  never  so  long  in  recovering  the 
fox,  they  should  do  it,  and  hunt  him  out  foot  by  foot. 

Where  foxes  are  plentiful,  care  must  be  taken  that  hounds 
do  not  run  the  heel:  for  it  not  unfrequently  happens,  that 
hounds  hunt  the  wrong  way  of  the  scent  better  than  they  can 
the  right,  when  one  is  up  the  wind  and  the  other  is  down. 

When  a  fox  is  "tally'd"  away,  the  huntsman  should  get 
forward  with  the  bunch  of  hounds  that  he  may  have  with 
him:  the  others  will  soon  join  them,  when  their  tongues 
announce  that  they  are  on  the  scent.  Let  him,  however, 
lift  the  tail  hounds,  and  get  them  forward  as  fast  as  possible ; 
for  it  is  the  very  glory  of  sport  to  see  the  whole  pack  settle 
to  their  fox,  at  the  burst,  like  a  flock  of  pigeons  skimming 
the  air  in  one  solid  and  compact  body. 

When  hounds  are  picking  along  a  cold  scent,  on  unsoiled 
ground,  they  should  be  let  alone:  but  when  they  are  at  fault 
with  such  a  scent,  the  cast  should  be  made  slowly  and  cau- 
tiously. With  a  good  scent,  a  quick  cast  may  be  made; 
and  with  a  cold  one,  slow  and  sure  is  the  rule  to  be  ob- 
served. If  hounds,  however,  are  making  a  good  and  regu- 
lar cast,  trying  for  the  scent  as  they  go,  not  a  word  should 
be  spoken  to  them :  it  cannot  do  any  good;  for  all  that  can 
be  required  of  them  is  being  performed,  and  any  interference 
may  probably  make  them  over-run  the  scent. 

When  hounds  are  at  check,  the  huntsman  should  keep  an 
eye  to  the  tail  hounds:  they  are  least  likely  to  over-run  the 
scent ;  and  he  may  see  by  them  how  far  they  brought  it. 
In  most  packs  there  are  some  hounds  that  will  show  the 


DUTY  OF  THE  HUNTSMAN.  129 

point  of  the  fox,  and,  if  attended  to,  will  direct  his  cast. 
When  such  hounds  follow  unwillingly,  the  huntsman  may 
be  certain  that  the  rest  of  the  pack  are  running  without  a 
scent. 

Huntsmen  that  are  well  adapted  for  the  peculiar  countries 
that  they  have  been  used  to,  often  find  themselves  at  a  loss 
in  new  ones;  particularly  when  casts  are  to  be  made.  In  large 
and  open  enclosures,  wide  casts  are  invariably  necessary: 
but  in  a  woodland  and  enclosed  country,  they  should  be 
more  confined. 

A  huntsman  always  likes  to  have  the  whole  of  his  hounds 
turned  after  him  when  he  makes  a  cast:  but  it  is  a  common 
error,  which  has  permitted  many  a  fox  to  escape.  The 
more  that  hounds  spread  at  fault,  the  better;  so  long  as  they 
are  in  sight  or  hearing.  Many  a  skirting  hound  has  hit  ofF 
the  scent,  which  an  obstinate  huntsman  has  endeavoured  to 
prevent,  by  casting  the  wrong  way. 

It  has  been  alleged  by  an  eminent  authority  upon  hunting, 
that  "  the  heading  a  fox  back  at  first,  if  the  covert  be  not  a 
large  one,  is  oftentimes  of  service  to  hounds ;  as  he  will  not 
stop,  and  cannot  go  off  unseen."  I  must  think  that  the 
chances  of  chopping  him,  upon  his  being  headed  back,  never 
entered  the  thoughts  of  this  scribe.  No,  no.  When  the 
fox  breaks,  let  us  hope  no  imprudent,  because  too  hasty, 
"tally-ho"  will  head  him  back  again.  Let  him  get  well 
away,  and  the  hounds  get  well  settled  to  him. 

All  hounds,  good,  bad,  and  indifferent,  go  fast  enough 
with  a  good  scent.  It  is  to  get  them  forward  with  a  cold 
one,  and  to  keep  them  pretty  close  to  their  fox,  that  test  the 
capacities  of  the  huntsman.  In  truth,  with  a  high  burning 
scent  there  is  no  hunting  required.  Hounds  must  go;  and 
all  that  is  to  be  done  is,  to  keep  close  to  them  until  they  run 
to  earth  or  pull  the  fox  down. 


130  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

When  hounds  flag,  from  a  long  day  and  frequent  changes, 
it  is  necessary  that  the  huntsman  should  animate  them  as 
much  as  he  can.  He  must  press  them  forward  and  keep 
them  on ;  for  it  is  not  likely,  in  this  case,  that  they  should 
over-run  the  scent.  At  these  times  the  whole  work  is  done 
by  a  few  hounds ;  and  the  huntsman  should  keep  close  to 
them,  to  cheer  and  assist  them  in  trouble  and  difficulty. 

The  many  chances  that  are  against  hounds  in  fox-hunting 
(such  as  the  changing  of  foxes,  their  being  coursed  by  curs, 
Jong  checks,  cold  hunting  on  tainted  ground,  the  dying 
away  of  the  scent,  an  unruly  field  riding  over  it,  rattling 
too  close  behind  hounds  up  the  lanes  and  roads,  and  thus 
driving  them  on  to  over-run  the  scent;  for  high-spirited 
hounds  will  seldom  stop  when  horses  are  galloping  close  to 
their  sterns,)  render  it  imperative  to  keep  them  as  near  to 
the  fox  as  possible.  If  this  be  done,  difficulties  may  easily 
be  conquered :  but  when  the  distance  is  great,  they  frequently 
become  insuperable. 

If  hounds  in  covert  have  a  brace  or  more  foxes  afoot,  and 
are  divided  into  separate  companies,  the  huntsman  had  bet- 
ter take  away  with  the  first  fox  that  breaks.  The  ground 
will  soon  become  tainted,  and  no  good  can  be  done  by 
remaining  there. 

When  a  fox  has  been  headed  back  on  one  side  of  a  covert, 
and  a  huntsman  knows  that  there  is  not  any  body  on  the 
other  side  to  view  him ;  the  first  fault  that  his  hounds  come 
to,  let  him  cast  that  way,  lest  the  fox  should  have  broken 
covert ;  and,  if  he  has  not,  the  huntsman  may  still  recover 
him. 

I  may  now  observe,  by  way  of  a  finish  to  my  remarks  on 
the  duties  appertaining  to  the  office  of  a  huntsman,  that  on 
no  account  whatever  is  he  to  draft  a  tender-footed  or  lame 
hound.  A  hound  not  in  a  fit  state  to  run,  cannot  be  of  much 


DUTY  OF  THE  WHIPPER-IN.  131 

service  to  the  pack ;  and  taking  him  out  may  occasion  him 
a  long  confinement  afterwards. 

The  Whipper-in,  although-a  step  below  the  dignity  of  a 
huntsman,  is  of  as  much,  if  not  more,  importance  in  hunting 
a  pack  of  fox-hounds  than  the  huntsman  himself.  He  should 
not  only  be  as  fully  capable  of  hunting  them;  but  his  appre- 
hension should  be  as  quick  and  his  judgment  as  good.  Upon 
him  depends  the  discipline  and  steadiness  of  the  pack  ;  as  the 
huntsman  should  seldom  rate  and  never  flog:  and,  upless 
hounds  are  steady  and  obedient,  I  would  as  soon  see  as 
many  yapping  pug  dogs  thrown  into  a  covert. 

Various,  indeed,  are  the  ways  that  a  whipper-in  may  give 
proof  of  his  genius.  He  may  stop  the  tail  hounds,  and  get 
them  forward  ;  he  can  clap  to  an  earth  that  may  be  known  to 
be  open,  to  which  the  fox  may  be  pointing.  He  may  keep 
him  off  his  foil,  and  frequently  assist  the  hounds  most  mate- 
rially ;  provided  he  has  the  powers  of  discriminating  between 
that  which  will  assist  and  that  which  will  hurt  them. 

Previously  to  making  the  attempt  to  stop  the  hounds,  the 
whipper-in  should  get  well  to  their  heads,  and,  as  this  is 
generally  very  fast  work,  he  ought  to  be  well  mounted,  in 
order  to  be  able  to  accomplish  it  satisfactorily. 

I  remember  seeing,  upon  one  occasion,  a  pack  flying  up 
the  wind,  running  heel,  while  the  first  and  second  whips  were 
endeavouring  in  vain  to  get  to  their  heads ;  and  for  more  than  a 
mile  this  race  continued.  At  last  the  whips  stopped  them  ; 
but  not  in  time ;  for  the  scent, — beaten  as  the  fox  was,  to 
within  a  handful  of  seconds  of  his  death, — had  become  so  cold 
that  the  hounds  could  not  hunt  him  an  inch.  The  Master 
searched  his  vocabulary  for  expressive  terms,  and  swore  many 
a  round  oath  at  his  servants:  but  the  fault  centered  in  his  ill- 
conditioned  screws ;  not  in  his  servants. 

Rating  behind,  when  hounds  are  to  be  stopped,  is  of  no 

12* 


132 

use.  They  will  not  mind  it ;  and,  in  my  opinion,  it  frequent- 
ly increases,  instead  of  checking  their  speed.  When  a  hound 
is  to  be  punished,  he  should  first  have  the  whip,  and  then  be 
rated ;  as  he  will  naturally  avoid  the  thong,  upon  receiving 
intimation  that  his  fault  has  not  escaped  notice. 

Young  hounds  must  be  kept  in  very  great  subjection.  No- 
thing can  be  done  with  them  unless  they  fear  punishment ; 
and,  when  deserving,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  whipper-in  to  ad- 
minister it  with  justice,  but  not  with  barbarity. 

I  have  heard  of  periodical  floggings  being  given  in  the 
kennel,  for  no  committed  faults  whatever:  but  I  trust  the 
report  of  such  shameful  cruelty  is  mere  fabrication. 

A  whipper-in  sometimes  will  rate  young  hounds  before  they 
commit  the  offence,  seeing  that  they  are  about  to  do  so. 
This  may  and  will  prevent  their  rioting,  or  whatever  fault  it  may 
be,  on  this  particular  occasion:  but  they  will  be  just  as  ready 
to  begin,  the  next  opportunity.  It  is  better  to  let  them  quite 
alone  until  he  sees  what  they  would  be  at,  and  then  deal  out 
the  discipline  in  accordance  with  the  degree  of  the  offence. 
Whether  a  riotous  young  hound  runs  little  or  much,  is  of  small 
consequence :  it  is  the  blood  only  that  signifies ;  which  in 
every  kind  of  riot  should  carefully  be  prevented. 

If  a  hound  obeys  the  rate,  he  must  not  be  touched  with  the 
thong :  but  if  not,  he  should  be  taken  up  immediately  and 
flogged  severely.  I  abhor  cruelty :  but,  even  for  the  sake  of 
humanity,  a  hound  should  be  hit  hard  ;  as  it  prevents  chastise- 
ments being  often  required.  There  are  hounds  like  some  men 
— I  was  going  to  add  "  women  "  but  politeness  forbids — and 
children,  more  riotous  than  others,  and  requiring  severer  mea- 
sures for  their  subjection.  Such  hounds  should  be  taken  out  by 
themselves,  on  the  days  they  do  not  hunt,  and  properly  drilled. 
If  this  method  will  not  make  them  steady,  no  other  can  ;  and 
the  rope  is  the  only  alternative  left :  but,  in  nineteen  times 


DUTY    OF    THE   WHIPPER-IN.  133 

out  of  twenty,  it  is  a  trial  between  the  whipper-in  and  the  re- 
fractory dog ;  and  I  would  back  the  former,  at  ten  to  one,  if 
he  be  firm  and  patient. 

A  whipper-in  should  never  put  the  pack  into  confusion, 
and  run  the  imminent  risk  of  riding  over  some  of  them,  by 
galloping  into  the  midst  of  hounds,  for  the  purpose  of  adminis- 
tering punishment.  He  should  wait  his  opportunity  to  single 
out  the  hound,  and  then  flog  and  rate  him.  It  is  one  of  his 
principal  duties,  to  lift  the  tail  hounds :  and  in  this  a  good 
and  efficient  servant  is  of  the  very  greatest  use  in  fox-hunting. 
He  must  occasionally,  too,  get  forward  himself,  when  the 
huntsman  is  not  with  the  hounds ;  and  now  it  is  that  his 
capability  for  hunting  them  will  have  an  opportunity  of  de- 
veloping itself.  No  excuse,  except  that  a  dense  fog  prevails, 
or  hounds  run  into  darkness,  is  admissible,  for  his  not  bring- 
ing every  hound  home.  A  Master  may  sometimes  be  in- 
formed that  his  whipper-in  thought  a  lost  hound  was  forward, 
when  he  was  left  behind,  or  that  he  got  off  unseen  ;  and  such 
like  excuses  may  be  offered.  But  the  reply  to  one  and  all  is, 
"You  have  no  business  to  think;  you  should  know  whether 
all  your  hounds  are  forward  or  not;  and,  as  to  getting  away 
unseen,  what  are  your  eyes  and  ears  for?" 

"  Forward "  is  a  good  and  necessary  halloo  from  the 
tongue  of  the  whipper-in  ;  but  it  should  not  be  so  continually 
in  his  mouth  as  it  generally  Is.  It  is  his  natural  desire,  as 
well  as  the  principal  part  of  his  duty,  to  get  hounds  forward  ; 
but  he  should  never  use  this  halloo  until  a  fox  be  found.  Ob- 
serving this,  the  hounds  will  always  fly  to  it.  In  getting 
hounds  out  of  covert,  or  into  it,  other  halloos  may  be  used  ; 
such  as,  "  Get  away,"  or  "  Get  to  him,"  &c. 

Hounds  never  have  the  same  affection  for  the  whipper-in 
as  they  have  for  the  huntsman  ;  the  former  being  the  stern 
minister  of  punishment :  but  it  is  necessary  that  they  should 


134  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

be  well  acquainted  with  him  in  a  more  friendly  position;  and 
therefore  he  should  be  admitted  into  the  kennel  daily,  for  an 
exchange  of  civilities.  Huntsmen,  frequently,  are  jealous  of 
the  whipper-in ;  they  look  upon  him  as  a  successor,  and 
therefore  do  not  readily  give  him  admittance  there.  How- 
ever, this  is  for  the  Master  to  have  an  eye  to. 

I  have  been  speaking  of  the  whipper-in  ;  not  thinking  it 
worth  while  to  notice  the  second,  should  there  be  two  in  the 
establishment.  He  is,  generally  speaking,  as  ignorant  of  the 
duties  of  a  whipper-in,  as  a  recruit,  fresh  caught,  is  of  those 
of  a  soldier.  All  that  I  shall  observe  concerning  his  duties, 
is,  that  he  must  neither  cheer  nor  rate  a  hound,  but  when 
quite  certain  of  the  correctness  of  the  measure  ;  and  never 
get  forward,  as  long  as  a  single  hound  remains  behind. 


RIDING  TO  HOUNDS.  135 


CHAPTER  XL 

A    FEW    HINTS    UPON    THE    METHOD     OF     RIDING    STRAIGHT    TO 
HOUNDS. THE  STAG-HOUND,  HARRIER,  AND  BEAGLE. 

IN  submitting  these  few  hints  upon  the  most  approved 
method  of  riding  to  hounds,  I  am  not  going  to  make  a  futile 
attempt  to  teach  the  art  of  equestrianism ;  for  it  would  be  as 
impossible,  through  the  medium  of  written  instructions,  to 
teach  a  man  how  to  ride  as  how  to  swim.  A  few  sugges- 
tions, however,  may  not  be  without  use,  and  I  hope  will  be 
received  in  the  spirit  in  which  I  give  them. 

There  are  few  novices  who  have  not  experienced  a  mis- 
adventure similar  to  that  which  I  am  about  to  relate  ;  although 
it  may  not  have  been,  like  mine,  at  their  debut. 

It  was  not,  strictly  speaking,  the  first  time  of  my  being  at 
the  covert  side  ;  but  it  was  on  that  adventurous  and  momen- 
tous morn  when,  ere  the  first  cock  threw  his  challenge  on 
the  breeze,  to  warn  the  owl  to  her  hollow  in  the  cankered 
oak,  and  to  rouse  the  dozy  rook  from  his  perch  on  the  tower- 
ing elm, — I  stood  in  my  maiden  "  bit  of  pink,"  dressed  from 
top  to  toe  in  all  that  becomes  a  fox-hunter.  It  was  very 
cold  ;  and  yet  never  did  my  blood  feel  warmer  than  now,  as 
I  wafted  a  vow,  (before  a  looking-glass  that  compassed  every 
barley-corn  of  my  form  and  figure,)  in  a  breathless  mutter,  to 
do  such  deeds  this  day  that  the  oldest  in  the  field  should 
yield,  in  judgment,  the  palm  to  me ;  and  the  most  daring, 


136 

the  laurel  and  the  brush.  Be  it  remembered,  however,  that 
the  razor,  laid  on  the  table  at  hand,  had  not  yet  had  its  edge 
blunted  by  my  beard. 

Arrived  at  the  furze  brake,  and  just  as  the  hounds  were 
thrown  into  it,  I  fancied  that  my  girths  were  somewhat  slack: 
and  I  dismounted  to  get  a  pull  at  them.  At  this  moment,  a 
fox  broke.  The  "  tally-ho, "  came  clear  and  ringing  from 
the  first  whipper-in,  stationed  at  the  further  end  of  the  covert. 
"  For'ard,  for'ard !"  hallooed  the  huntsman ;  and  every  hound 
flying  to  the  cheer,  away  they  went,  with  their  heads  up  and 
sterns  down,  as  fleet  as  swallows  skimming  through  the  air. 

My  horse,  young  and  ardent  like  myself,  fretted  to  join  the 
chase  ;  and,  to  show  his  impatience,  began  to  plunge  and  to 
rear.  This  retarded  my  movements  ;  and,  to  convince  him 
that  I  was  equally  impatient  at  any  thing  that  tended  to  de- 
tain me,  I  gave  him  a  stroke  with  my  whip. 

"Now  then,  young  gentleman,"  shouted  a  gallant  old 
colonel,  the  character  from  whom  I  drew,  as  faithfully  as  I 
could,  to  the  life,  my  "  Old  English  Gentleman ;"  "  Now 
then,"  repeated  he,  sweeping  past  me,  "  you'll  never  see  any 
more  of  them,  if  ye  don't  come  along." 

The  struggle  now  became  furious  between  me  and  my 
hunter.  I  tried  with  desperation  to  throw  myself  into  the 
saddle ;  but  the  continued  plunging  of  the  horse  prevented 
my  accomplishing  it:  and  his  rearing,  as  may  be  supposed, 
was  in  no  degree  abated  by  my  angrily  jerking  him  by  the 
bridle  and  applying  the  whip  vigorously.  At  length  I  ma- 
naged to  scramble  upon  his  back ;  but  not  a  horseman  was 
in  sight ;  not  a  sound  was  to  be  heard.  I  stretched  my  eyes 
and  strained  my  ears  in  vain,  to  catch  intelligence  of  the 
course  that  I  was  to  take.  The  country  being  wide  enclo- 
sures of  pasture,  I  could  not  even  learn  by  the  tracks,  except 
for  a  very  short  distance  where  the  land  was  soft,  where  the 


RIDING  TO  HOUNDS.  137 

hunt  had  passed.  In  the  belief,  however,  that  the  fox  was 
pointing  to  a  large  covert,  in  the  direction  that  he  had  taken 
at  the  burst,  I  lifted  hard  towards  it ;  hoping  that  I  should 
"nick  in."  On  my  road  thither,  I  espied  four  labourers  at 
work  in  a  fallow  field.  "  Have  you  seen  the  hounds?"  in- 
quired I.  "  Yes,  zur,"  replied  they  simultaneously.  "  Which 
way  did  they  go  ?" — "  That  way,  zur,"  replied  the  quartette, 
stretching  out  their  dexter  arms  in  precisely  the  four  opposite 
corners  of  the  compass. 

Dispirited  and  miserable  at  my  untoward  luck,  I  turned 
the  head  of  my  horse  towards  home ;  and  if  I  wept  on  my 
road  thither,  it  was  known  to  myself  only. 

Well !  this  was  an  early  lesson,  the  fruits  of  which  lasted 
without  the  remotest  chance  of  being  forgotten,  to  "  get  well 
away "  with  hounds,  and  to  be  prepared  at  all  points  pre- 
viously to  hounds  being  thrown  off.  If  girths  are  to  be 
tightened,  stirrups  shortened,  curbchains  slackened,  or,  in 
short,  if  any  alteration  is  to  be  made  in  any  thing  connected 
with  yourself  or  your  horse,  it  should  be  done  in  time,  and 
plenty  of  it  to  spare. 

Every  body,  who  knows  the  least  about  fox-hunting,  is 
aware  how  essential  it  is  to  get  well  away  with  hounds  at 
the  burst.  If  there  be  any  thing  like  a  distance  to  be  made 
up  at  the  beginning,  to  get  close  to  hounds, — and  what  sport 
is  there  in  being  out  of  sight  and  out  of  hearing  of  them? — 
remember  that  it  must  be  done  greatly  at  the  expense  of  your 
horse.  He  has  not  got,  what  is  called,  his  "second  wind ;" 
and  if  pressed  at  first,  he  may  be  run  to  a  stand-still,  par- 
ticularly if  not  in  first-rate  condition:  and  it  must  greatly 
tend  to  take  the  steel  out  of  him,  in  any  case;  which  may  be 
found  sadly  detrimental  in  a  fast  and  long  run.  In  order, 
therefore,  to  gel  a  good  start,  you  should  place  yourself  in 
such  a  position,  by  the  covert  side,  as-  to  be  able  to  get  away 


138  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

with  hounds,  let  the  fox  break  at  what  point  he  may.  Occa- 
sionally such  a  position  is  selected,  as  that,  if  the  fox  breaks 
at  a  particular  spot  or  corner,  you  may  head  the  whole  field 
at  the  burst ;  but  nothing  can  be  more  likely  to  throw  you 
out  than  this,  as  you  think,  very  cunning  mamfiuvre.  You 
should  be  careful  not  to  take  a  too  forward  place,  talk  loudly, 
nor  imprudently  "  Tally"  the  fox,  before  he  gets  clear  of  the 
covert,  so  as  to  head  him  back.  Any  such  proceeding  evinces 
a  superlative  "greenness"  in  your  character  as  a  sportsman. 

Recollect,  that  if  a  fox  runs  up  the  wind  when  found,  and 
afterwards  turns,  he  seldom,  if  ever,  turns  again.  This  may 
be  of  use  to  you,  in  getting  away  with  him;  particularly  if 
by  any  accident  you  have  been  left  in  the  rear  and  have  to 
lift  hard. 

There  is  a  vast  deal  of  difference,  between  riding  despe- 
rately across  country,  without  any  judgment  at  all,  and  riding 
boldly  with.  I  have  seen  some  horses  beaten  by  the  former 
kind  of  riding,  long  before  the  latter  mode  has  even  taken  a 
sob  of  distress  out  of  others  ;  and  it  is  needless  to  say  which 
has  lived  to  the  finish. 

A  timid  rider,  I  can  scarcely  imagine  capable  of  really 
enjoying  the  sport  of  fox-hunting.  His  fears  must,  necessa- 
rily, be  so  constantly  awakened,  that  they  cannot  but  drown 
the  pleasurable  and  healthy  excitement  of  this,  as  Sheridan 
Knowles  calls  it,  "ecstasy  of  motion;  "  and  I  am  quite  as- 
sured that  a  nervous  horseman  is  far  more  likely  to  get  into 
difficulties  and  to  meet  with  accidents,  than  one  who  faces 
obstructions  reasonably  to  be  met.  I  have  heard  of  men 
"  riding  at  every  thing  that  it  might  please  Heaven  to  send ;" 
and  so  I  have  of  people  "  throwing  themselves  from  the  apex 
of  the  Monument ;"  but  I  am  happy  to  say  that  these  ma- 
niacs were  no  acquaintances  of  mine.  Courage  and  reck- 
lessness are  acknowledged  to  be  as  dissimilar  as  the  elements 


RIDING  TO  HOUNDS.  139 

of  fire  and  water.  Now,  he  who  would  ride  with  safety 
and  pleasure  to  himself,  and  to  the  admiration  of  observers', 
will  endeavour  to  distinguish  between  riding  as  if  life,  limb, 
and  horse-flesh  were  of  no  value,  and  creeping  about  the 
lanes  and  roads,  craning  over  turnip  hurdles,  and  enacting 
the  part  which  any  venerable  lady  of  three-score  and  ten 
might  perform  equally  well,  with  the  aid  of  a  pair  of  spec- 
tacles. Let  him  feel  his  stirrups,  fortify  his  heart,  and  ride 
like  a  gentleman  and  a  sportsman. 

To  ride  over  a  gate,  when  you  can  easily  throw  it  back 
upon  its  hinges,  or  to  take  any  totally  unnecessary  leap,  is 
any  thing  but  to  show  your  judgment.  Remember  "  the  race 
is  not  always  to  the  swift;"  and  that,  in  a  long  run,  it  is 
next  to  a  certainty  that  you  will  have  as  much  leaping  as  the 
most  rapacious  can  desire.  If  you  "  take  liberties  "  with 
your  horse,  he  will  not  last  as  long  as  you  may  require  him ; 
and,  although  you  may  look  well  in  the  "  first  flight,"  and 
for  a  time,  yet,  when  those  who  nursed  their  nags  give  you 
the  "  go-by,"  later  in  the  day,  and  at  the  time  when  the* 
genuine  sportsman  shows  in  front,  you  will  feel,— in  the  ex- 
plicit language  of  an  eminent  stable-boy, — "  as  if  you  had 
been  split  up  the  back,  and  all  the  pride  and  conceit  taken 
out  of  you." 

In  getting  over  heavy  ground,  you  should  endeavour  to 
ease  your  horse  as  much  as  possible.  Let  your  eyes  be  on 
the  look-out  for  a  headland,  ridge,  or  road,  on  which  you 
can  make  better  play ;  and  tighten  your  reins,  while  the 
trouble  lasts.  The  lost  distance  must  be  made  good  on  a 
better  course. 

When  a  horse  is  "  blown,"  turn  his  head  from  any  thing 
like  a  leap  of  magnitude.     It  is  quite  impossible  that  he  can 
take  it  with  any  degree  of  safety  ;  and  the  attempt  is  a  foolish 
risk  of  some  deplorable  result. 
13 


140 


THE  SPORTSMAN  S  LIBRARY. 


After  having  cleared  a  fence,  or  barrier  of  any  kind,  into 
an  enclosure,  look  instantly  for  the  best  place  for  your  next 
leap  ;  and,  having  fixed  upon  it,  keep  your  horse  as  straight 
as  an  arrow  towards  the  spot,  and  never  swerve.  A  great  deal 
depends  upon  your  keeping  the  head  of  your  horse  in  a  direct 
line  with  his  quarters,  in  taking  a  leap ;  for,  if  you  pull  him 
either  to  the  near  or  to  the  off  side,  the  chances  are  greatly 
in  favour  of  his  sending  you  to  bite  the  ground  in  company 
with  himself. 

I  have  seen  many  unseated  at  their  leaps,  from  checking 
their  horses  at  the  moment  of  taking  them.  At  this  junc- 
ture, you  should  keep  a  steady  hand,  but  by  no  means  a 
slack  rein.  The  curb,  however,  should  not  be  felt;  and  the 
horse  must  have  his  head  given  him.  All  this  can  be 
managed  without  riding  with  loose  reins ;  as  keeping  a  horse 
together  often  prevents  his  "knuckling,"  upon  landing  from 
his  spring. 

In  "  tailing  hounds,"  you  must  be  careful  not  to  get  unne- 
cessarily close  to  their  sterns.  In  that  case,  you  may  ride  over 
them,  particularly  when  they  come  to  a  sudden  check;  and 
it  is  impossible  to  know,  even  when  the  scent  is  a  burning 
one,  when  this  may  not  happen. 

When  a  horse  has  "  shot  his  bolt "  in  hunting,  punishment 
is  of  no  avail.  In  a  race,  the  spur  and  whip  have  often 
landed  a  winner,  by  half  a  head,  who,  without  them,  would 
have  been  a  loser  by  a  much  greater  distance.  But  in 
hunting,  there  are  no  such  precise  limits  fixed  for  the  horse 
to  exert  his  noble  powers  of  speed  and  strength  in ;  and  vic- 
tory is  never  the  question  of  a  nose  or  a  neck.  If,  there- 
fore, your  horse  evinces  symptoms  of  being  run  to  a  stand- 
still, either  from  the  killing  pace,  the  condition  of  the  ground, 
or,  what  is  worse  still,  his  own  want  of  condition ;  pull  him 
up,  and  reserve  him  for  a  future  day.  He  might,  perhaps, 


STAG-HUNTING.  141 

be  urged  to  do  a  little  more :  but  it  would  be  the  act  of  a 
butcher  to  force  him  ;  and  the  cruel  deed  would  be  followed, 
in  all  probability,  by  either  his  death,  destruction,  or  being 
unfitted  to  go  to  hounds  again  that  season,  except  in  the 
knacker's  cart. 

Previously  to  making  the  attempt  "to  ride  straight  to 
hounds,"  you  should  be  well  acquainted  with  your  horse. 
This  can  only  be  gained  by  having  seen  him  go  in  good 
form,  or  by  proving  by  degrees  that  he  possesses  the  capa- 
cities of  so  doing.  To  purchase,  however,  a  horse,  that 
you  know  nothing  whatever  about,  because  he  may  be  de- 
scribed as  "  a  perfect  hunter,"  and  to  mount  him  with  the 
resolve  to  test  his  merits  to  the  claim  at  once,  is  a  truly 
break-neck  proceeding.  A  friend  of  mine  purchased  "  a 
perfect  hunter"  at  Tattersall's ;  and,  taking  the  warranty  to 
be  as  true  as  the  sun,  determined  to  try  him  a  bat  with  the 
Royal  Buck-hounds.  Within  ten  minutes  of  the  commence- 
ment of  the  run,  my  friend's  right  thigh  was  fractured  in 
two  places,  although  one  of  the  best  riders  in  England.  The 
horse  swerved  at  a  common  hurdle,  and  fell  upon  him. 

In  speaking  hitherto  of  hounds  and  of  hunting,  I  have 
confined  myself  exclusively  to  what  belongs  to  the  pursuit 
of  the  Fox ;  that  there  might  be  no  confusion  or  miscon- 
ception as  to  this  chief  of  our  national  sports.  But  I  shall 
now,  that  there  be  no  void  in  my  original  design,  to  notice 
every  description  of  legitimate  sport, — proceed  to  lateral 
branches. 

If  it  were  my  province  to  carp  at  any  description  of  sport, 
I  should  begin  to  find  fault  with  and  satirize  Stag-hunting. 
However,  I  shall  not  dwell  upon  such  sport  as  the  uncarting 
of  a  half-tamed  brute,  to  be  "run  into"  in  a  turnpike  road, 
recarted,  taken  home,  and  reserved  for  another  similar  bit  of 
"  a  cockney  spree."  Others  may  see  grand  sport  in  the  ar- 


142 

rangement.  I  never  could ;  and,  except  the  stag-hunting  1 
have  witnessed  with  the  Devon  and  Somerset  stag-hounds, 
where  the  antlered  monarch  of  the  wild  is  uproused  from 
his  lair  in  his  native  woods,  I  would  as  soon  see  a  fatted 
calf  worried  to  death  by  bull-dogs,  as  such  a  libel  upon 
"  sport." 

Stag-hunting,  with  the  exception  I  have  mentioned, 
scarcely  deserves  to  be  ranked  under  the  head  of  the  chase, 
any  more  than  shaking  down  a  miserable  wretch  of  a  bagged 
fox  merits  the  title  of  fox-hunting.  There  is  no  hunting  in 
either  instance.  The  unhappy  wretches  are  brought  cap- 
tives to  the  spots  appointed  for  the  beginning  of  their  mar- 
tyrdom ;  and  are  then  run  into,  killed,  or  lost,  as  the  twenty 
chances  to  one  against  the  latter  event  coming  off  may  be 
directed  by  the  Fates. 

The  hound  that  is  now  in  vogue  for  this  purpose  is  very 
little  different  in  breed  from  the  fox-hound.  The  last  ori- 
ginal pack  of  stag-hounds  in  this  country, — such,  at  least,  as 
were  used  by  our  ancestors, — hunted  the  wild  red  deer  on 
the  extensive  moors  in  Devonshire,  Cornwall,  and  Somerset- 
shire, about  a  quarter  of  a  century  since.  These  were  sold 
to  go  into  Germany,  from  the  want  of  spirit  to  keep  them 
up ;  and  now  the  same  kind  is  used  that  may  be  seen  in  the 
royal  kennel :  a  cross  between  the  old  English  southern 
hound  and  the  fleeter  fox-hound,  grafted  upon  the  blood- 
hound. Such  is  the  perfection  to  which  practical  breeding 
is  reduced,  that  a  breeder,  by  judicious  crosses,  can  either  en- 
large or  diminish  the  stature  and  strength  of  his  pack,  in  the 
course  of  three  or  four  generations. 

The  Beagle  is  the  smallest  of  the  dogs  of  the  chase  which 
go  under  the  general  denomination  of  hound.  For  the 
beagle  I  entertain  the  very  greatest  admiration.  In  my 
opinion,  he  is  the  very  description  of  hound  for  chasing  the 


THE  HARRIER.  143 

hare;  and  no  other,  save  the  gaze-hound  (corrupted  into 
gray-hound,)  who  trusts  alone  to  his  speed  for  a  few  seconds, 
is  fitted  in  size,  pace,  and  strength,  for  hunting  this  timid 
but  fleet  animal.  The  Harrier,  so  called,  is  generally  too 
fleet,  too  big,  and  too  strong,  for  allowing  the  hare  to  show 
sufficient  sport.  He  is  too  near  the  stamp  of  a  fox-hound ; 
and  is  more  than  a  fair  match  for  puss,  although  occasion- 
ally a  hare  may  be  found  to  afford  a  run  little  less  strong 
than  a  good  dog  fox.  This,  however,  is  of  rare  occur- 
rence ;  and  the  hare  is  generally  either  killed  or  lost  in  a 
few  minutes,  when  a  pack  of  modern  harriers  ring  their 
tongues  at  her  scut.  Indeed,  from  the  crosses  that  have 
been  made,  to  get  this  hound  speedy,  he  is  now  quite  equal, 
and  very  often  superior,  to  the  fox-hound,  in  pace.  Ori- 
ginally he  was  generated  in  a  double  cross  between  the 
small  beagle,  the  southern  hound,  and  the  dwarf  fox-hound. 
Now,  however,  he  approaches  far  nearer  to  the  hound 
bred  exclusively,  and  designed  by  size  and  powers,  for  hunt- 
ing the  fox. 

There  are,  however,  various  harriers  produced  by  crosses 
in  breeding,  dictated  by  knowledge  and  experience,  and  de- 
pending on  the  kind  of  country  they  hunt  in,  and  the  wish 
or  fancy  of  the  owner  of  the  pack;  all  of  which  are  a  great 
alteration  in  the  blood.  If  the  object  be, — as  for  the  most 
part  it  is  now,  in  every  description  of  sport,  to  kill  quickly, 
the  harrier  is  the  hound  capable  of  bringing  about  this  result 
in  less  than  one-third  the  time  that  the  little  beagle  is  in 
effecting  it;  and  this  I  imagine  is  the  cause  of  the  beagle 
being  superseded  by  the  harrier,  and  now  so  little  used  in 
the  chase. 

The  harrier  has  neither  the  dash  nor  the  spirit  of  the  fox- 
hound:  he  cannot  face  the  furze  brake  like  him:  and  there 
are  situations  where  he  is  too  weak ;  being  ill  suited  for  low, 

13* 


144  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

swampy,  and  marshy  lands.  The  southern  hound  seems  to 
be  best  calculated  for  such  localities.  For  large,  open 
countries,  where  hares  will  run  remarkably  strong  and 
straight  like  foxes,  harriers  will  show  good  sport:  but  they 
are  ill  adapted  for  close  woodlands;  being  both  too  fleet  for 
the  purpose,  and  too  sensitive  in  getting  through  strong 
fences. 

On  no  account  should  harriers  be  permitted  to  hunt  foxes; 
although  it  is  by  no  means  an  uncommon  practice  to  let 
them  do  so,  in  the  event  of  "the  varmint"  jumping  up  by 
accident.  The  high  scent  that  a  fox  leaves,  his  direct  run- 
ning, and  the  completely  different  style  of  hunting,  is  pro- 
ductive altogether  of  a  very  great  injury  and  disservice  to 
harriers. 

To  return,  however,  to  the  beagle.  Ladies,  and  gentle- 
men frosted  by  time,  are  the  only  "  exclusives  "  allowed  by 
the  code  of  strict  propriety  to  ride  after  beagles.  Men  of 
strength,  health,  and  sound  sails  to  hold  the  wind,  should 
stretch  their  best  legs  foremost,  and  run  on  foot  after  the 
merry  pack.  It  will  add  years  to  life,  and  drive  away 
every  tendency  to  disease,  ills,  and  aches,  from  the  toe  to 
the  head.  I  do  not  mean,  however,  that  disorders  are  to 
lodge  in  the  caput,  and  thus  only  make  a  change  in  the 
locality:  a  clear  ejectment  will  be  effected. 

Beagles,  to  be  very  choice,  can  scarcely  be  bred  too  small. 
The  standard  of  perfection  is  considered  to  be  from  ten  to 
eleven  inches;  and  the  latter  should  be  the  maximum  height. 
Although  far  inferior  in  point  of  speed  to  the  harrier,  the 
sense  of  smelling  is  equally,  if  not  more,  exquisite  in  the 
beagle.  In  pursuing  the  hare,  too,  he  exercises  indefatigable 
vigilance,  energy,  and  perseverance.  Every  winding  and 
double  is  traced  by  him  with  a  degree  of  exactness  which 
must  be  seen  to  be  enjoyed  and  justly  estimated;  and  his 


THE  BEAGLE.  145 

cry  "  loads  the  trembling  air  "  with  unequalled  music.  No- 
thing can  be  more  melodious  and  beautiful  than  to  hear  the 
pigmy  pack  open  at  a  hare;  and  if  slow,  comparatively 
speaking,  in  running  her,  should  the  scent  be  good,  she 
stands  but  little  chance  of  escape  from  them  in  the  end. 
Their  slowness,  however,  in  these  fast  times,  is  the  principal 
reason  of  their  being  almost  totally  discontinued  in  packs ; 
and  of  their  being  seldom  to  be  met  with  now,  beyond  a 
few  couples,  used  in  some  of  the  counties  in  England,  to 
ensure  a  find  in  coursing,  or  to  drive  rabbits  from  large  and 
thick  coverts. 

The  only  packs  of  Beagles  that  I  know  of,  are  those  be- 
longing to  His  Royal  Highness  Prince  Albert,  Lord  Winter- 
ton,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Honeywood.  I  was  informed  that 
the  Prince  offered  a  large  sum  for  the  pack  belonging  to 
Mr.  Honeywood ;  but  that  it  was  respectfully  declined. 
Greater  perfection  could  not  be  arrived  at,  than  in  that 
beautiful  pack  of  pigmies.  Not  one  exceeds  ten  inches; 
and  they  are  as  level  as  a  pack  of  cards ;  the  colour,  through- 
out, being  pure  white.  It  is  quite  beyond  credence  the  num- 
ber of  hares  they  kill  in  the  course  of  a  season.  When  run- 
ning with  a  good  scent,  they  might  be  imagined  to  belong  to 
the  fairy  Queen ;  so  small,  fast,  and  handsome  are  they. 


BOOK  III. 


SHOOTING. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    DETONATING     SYSTEM. GUNMAKERS. AND     THE     CHOICE 

OF  A  GUN. 

Now  that  flint  guns  are  extinct,  it  would  be  useless  for  me 
to  dwell  for  one  moment  on  a  comparison  between  the  merits 
of  the  detonating  system  and  the  antiquated  "tinder-box," 
which  experience,  that  best  of  judges,  has  consigned  to  obli- 
vion. If  not  in  every  way  inferior  to  the  percussion  gun,  it 
is  quite  conclusive  of  the  question,  that  the  flint  has  been 
abandoned,  from  the  balance  being  so  much  in  favour  of  the 
detonating :  to  this,  therefore,  I  shall  exclusively  refer. 

In  speaking  of  the  mechanical  parts  of  a  gun,  I  shall  con- 
fine myself  to  that  which  should  be  familiar  to  the  sportsman  ; 
and  not  weary  him  with  details,  perfectly  useless  except  to 
the  gunmaker;  for  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  sportsmen 
generally  take  greater  interest  in  the  boring  of  barrels  or  the 
fabricating  of  locks,  than  in  the  stitching  of  their  saddles  and 
bridles.  So  the  work  be  done,  and  done  well,  the  how  is  a 
matter  of  little  moment. 


GUNMAKERS.  147 

In  the  first  instance,  I  must  direct  the  attention  of  the  tyro 
to  the  choice  of  a  gun  for  general  puposes.  This  is  a  matter 
of  the  very  greatest  importance  ;  as,  although  good  shots  may 
be  made  with  a  bad  piece,  it  is  to  be  expected  that  many 
must  be  spoiled  by  it.  It  is  not  my  purpose  to  puff  any  par- 
ticular maker  of  guns:  but  I  think  it  a  duty  to  mention  the 
names  of  those  whom  I  have  found  to  be  as  good  as,  if  not 
better  than,  any  other  makers  coming  under  my  notice. 

The  London  makers  have  a  knack  of  turning  up  their 
noses  at  Westley  Richards,  and  talk  about  his  guns  being 
"  Birmingham  manufacture."  It  is  quite  true  that  they  are 
so,  and  he  professes  them  to  be  no  more.  I  should  like  to 
know  if  the  London  tribe,  in  saying  that  their  guns  are  Lon- 
don manufacture,  tell  the  like  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and 
nothing  but  the  truth.  I  have  shot  with  Westley  Richards' 
guns  for  a  considerable  period  ;  and  I  consider  that  there  is 
no  maker  of  the  day  superior  to  him.  Lancaster,  also,  ranks 
deservedly  high.  For  a  season,  I  shot  with  one  of  his  side- 
primers  ;  and,  although  an  ingenious  invention,  I  do  not  like 
it,  nor  indeed  any  of  the  improvements,  so  called,  so  well 
as  the  cock  and  nipple. 

Lancaster's  machine  for  the  finish  of  barrel-boring  is  per- 
fection, and  could  emanate  only  from  an  exceedingly  clever 
man.  It  is  some  time  since  I  saw  it ;  and  when  I  did  so,  it 
was  quite  as  a  stranger :  but  he  took  great  pains  to  explain 
to  me  the  properties  belonging  to  the  invention  ;  and  I  was 
quite  satisfied  that  his  assertion  of  his  capability  of  making 
any  given  number  of  guns  to  shoot  alike  was  perfectly  correct. 
During  the  reign  of  the  immortal  Joe  Manton,  Mr.  Lancaster 
was  known  only  as  a  barrel-finisher  ;  and  as  his  work  did  not 
comprise  the  engraving  and  browning,  many  of  the  trade  took 
the  credit  of  his  skill.  If  there  are  makers  equal  to  Lancaster,  I 


148  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

am  quite  certain  that  there  is  not  one  entitled  to  rank  before  him. 
Purdey  also  turns  out  as  fine  work  as  any  living  maker.  I 
will  not  make  any  envious  distinctions,  while  giving  a  short 
list  of  eminent  gun-makers  whose  fowling-pieces  I  have  for- 
merly possessed,  or  now  have  ;  but  the  best  gun  that  I  ever 
put  to  my  shoulder  was  made  by  Purdey.  I  had  a  gun  made 
by  John  Egg,  son  of  the  eminent  D.  Egg;  and  that  was  a 
very  good  one.  I  have  now  mentioned  the  names  of  the  dis- 
tinguished makers  whose  guns  I  can  recommend,  from  a  long 
acquaintance  and  constant  trials  of  their  excellence.  It  must 
be  remembered,  however,  that  these  artists  make  a  sensible 
impression  on  fifty  guineas,  for  a  specimen  of  their  handicraft ; 
a  sum  which  a  young  sportsman  may  not  always  be  willing  to 
part  withal.  I  shall  therefore  mention  the  name  of  another 
maker,  whom  t  know  to  be  good,  and  whose  habit  at  present 
(I  say  at  present;  for  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  time  is  not  far 
distant  when  there  will  be  an  ascendant  price)  is  to  charge 
twenty  less,  for  a  highly-finished  and  good  gun.  This  is 
John  Blissett  of  High  Holborn  ;  than  whom  a  better  judge  of 
what  should  be,  from  the  nose  of  the  barrel  to  the  heel  plate, 
I  do  not  think  exists.  I  gave  him  thirty  guineas  for  one  of 
his  best  double  guns,  in  case,  and  every  thing  complete  ; 
and  I  do  no  more  than  common  justice  in  saying,  that  it  was 
as  good  as  a  man  could  wish  to  pull  the  trigger  of. 

In  a  subsequent  page  of  this  volume,  an  alphabetical  list  of 
the  London  gunmakers  will  be  found :  but  I  must  say  that, 
in  addition  to  those  already  named,  there  are  many  others  of 
equally  deserved  celebrity ;  such  as  Messrs.  Moore,  John  Man- 
ton,  a  son  of  the  celebrated  Joe,  Nock,  Smith,  Wilkinson,  &c. 
In  selecting  the  few  particularly  mentioned,  I  have  confined 
myself  to  those,  as  I  have  before  said,  whose  guns  I  have 
shot  with,  and  can  therefore  answer  for. 

It  is  one  of  the  common  errors  with  young  sportsmen,  to 


CHOICE  OF  A  GUff.  149 

like  crooked  stocks  and  light  guns;  than  which  nothing  can 
be  more  prejudicial.  In  speaking  of  the  weight  and  gauge, 
J  am  alluding  to  a  double-barrelled  detonating  gun  for  the 
general  purposes  of  shooting,  and  not  for  particular  or  excep- 
tional ones. 

The  length  of  a  stock  must  depend  upon  the  length  of  arm 
or  reach ;  as  one  man  can  bring  a  gun  readily  and  with  ease 
to  his  shoulder,  which  another  could  not  get  there.  In 
choosing  a  gun,  therefore,  as  much  care  should  be  taken  in 
having  the  stock  fitted  to  the  shoulder  as  in  adapting  the 
sleeve  of  a  coat  to  the  length  of  the  arm ;  but,  in  all  cases, 
the  stock  should  be  as  straight  as  possibly  can  be  managed 
with ;  as  a  crooked  one  keeps  the  nose  of  the  gun  down- 
wards, and  thus  throws  under  the  object.  When  a  stock 
well-adapted  to  the  shoulder  is  found,  it  should  be  kept  as 
a  pattern  for  any  other  that  may  be  required:  or  its  dimen- 
sions should  be  registered. 

The  barrels  should  be  at  least  thirty  or  thirty-one  inches 
in  length ;  and  I  think  the  latter  most  desirable,  as  it  is  a 
very  great  fallacy  to  imagine  that  short  barrels  shoot  as 
well  as  long  ones.  I  remember  a  friend  telling  me  that  he 
possesed  an  old  flint  gun,  and  wishing  to  apply  it  to  covert 
shooting  only,  he  had  the  barrels  cut  shorter,  and  found  it  to 
throw  the  shot  better  than  in  its  former  state.  Similar  ex- 
periments have  been  tried  with  the  like  success ;  but  this 
was  in  consequence  of  the  barrels  being  improperly  bored,  for 
a  long  calibre ;  and  therefore  the  length,  instead  of  being  a 
very  great  assistance,  was  a  serious  impediment.  Unless 
the  bore  be  in  proportion  to  the  length,  such  must  be  the 
result. 

The  barrels  should  be  fourteen  guage;  a  smaller  one  not 
permitting  the  charge  to  ignite  before  a  portion  of  it  is  driven 
from  the  barrel. 


150 

It  is  generally  supposed  that  the  quicker  the  explosion,  the 
greater  the  force  that  must  accompany  it.  This  is  a  mis- 
take ;  as  has  been  proved  beyond  a  question  by  experiments, 
and  as  I  flatter  myself  I  shall  have  little  difficulty  in  show- 
ing. It  is  obvious  that  the  force  is  derived  from  the  pow- 
der; and  if,  as  has  been  clearly  shown  by  the  machine  invent- 
ed by  Mr.  Wilkinson  of  Pall  Mall,  the  detonating  fire  may 
pass  through  an  entire  charge  of  fine  powder  without  igni- 
ting more  than  one  half,  the  force  must  be  materially  lessened 
by  too  rapid  an  ignition.  In  this  particular,  ignition  by  the 
flint  possessed  an  advantage,  by  giving  time  for  the  powder 
to  burn ;  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  force  of  the  flint 
guns  was  much  greater  in  proportion  than  that  of  our  deto- 
nating ones.  Inventions  have  been  rife,  to  obtain  a  quicker 
and  more  direct  ignition ;  whereas  we  clearly  require  one  to 
retard  it.  Mr.  Wilkinson  invented  what  he  was  pleased  to 
call  "  a  counter-parabolic  breeching,"  in  order  to  obtain  the 
desired  end.  I  read  his  pamphlet,  explanatory  of  its  merits^ 
with  attention ;  and  I  considered  it  emanating  from  a  man 
not  only  ingenious,  but  whose  ingenuity  might  very  likely  be 
turned  to  considerable  advantage.  I  have  had  no  opportu- 
nity of  trying  this  high-flown  "counter-parabolic  breeching," 
as  it  was  christened :  but  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  the  re- 
tarding, or  counter  action,  would  be  very  likely  to  give  a 
man's  shoulder  an  unpleasant  kick. 

A  light  gun  is  by  no  means  adapted  for  the  detonating 
power.  The  recoil  is  so  much  greater  than  with  a  flint, 
that  additional  melal  is  necessary  to  withstand  it;  and  the 
wear  and  tear  is  so  much  increased  by  the  force  applied, 
that,  unless  there  be  sufficient  substance,  the  gun  will  quickly 
be  worn  out.  About  seven  and  a  half  pounds  should  be 
the  minimum,  and  eight  and  a  half  pounds  the  maximum 
weight  of  a  gun,  I  proceed  to  give  a  few  instructions  con- 


CHOICE  OF  A  GUN.  151 

cerning  the  choice  of  the  locks.  About  the  first  thing  that 
a  man  does  when  a  gun  is  placed  in  his  hands  for  inspec- 
tion, is  to  try  the  springs  of  the  locks  ;  and  I  have  little  hesi- 
tation in  saying  that,  although  not  an  infallible  test  of  its 
general  merits,  any  person  who  has  had  a  first-rate  gun  in 
his  possession  may  invariably  know,  by  the  feel  of  the  locks, 
whether  it  be  a  genuine  and  highly-finished  production. 
These,  when  the  cock  is  brought  gradually  up,  should  glide 
with  the  touch  and  have  an  easy  and  smooth  action.  If 
there  be  a  harsh,  grating,  and  unpleasant  feel,  there  is  not 
the  work  that  there  should  be  in  a  good  lock.  I  am  not 
partial  to  the  mainspring  being  unnecessarily  strong ;  but  I 
would  rather  have  it  too  strong  than  too  weak ;  and  a  nice 
sharp  click,  when  the  scear  catches  the  tumbler,  is  music  to 
my  ear. 

The  regulation  of  the  trigger  is  a  matter  of  the  very 
greatest  importance;  although  it  so  often  escapes  the  atten- 
tion of  even  experienced  sportsmen.  If  it  goes  too  hard  to 
the  pull,  the  nose  or  muzzle  of  the  gun  becomes  lowered  by 
the  action,  and  the  charge  is  thrown  under  the  object;  and 
if  it  be  too  light  and  tender,  there  is  danger  of  the  gun  going 
off  before  you  intend  that  it  should.  Filing  the  notch, 
where  the  scear  catches  the  tumbler,  either  deeper  or  the 
reverse,  will  easily  remedy  the  defect :  but  it  requires  a  nice 
hand  to  perform  the  operation. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  stocks  to  your  guns,  all  your  triggers 
should  be  alike ;  that  is,  should  pull  an  equal  weight.  No- 
thing is  so  likely  to  throw  a  sportsman  far  out  of  his  reckon- 
ing as  a  great  variation  in  the  pull  of  his  triggers.  Purdey's 
best  double  guns  average  about  four  pounds :  but  the  near 
trigger  is  set  a  trifle  under  this;  as  the  right-hand  trigger, 
being  farther  off,  will  bear  a  greater  pressure,  although  not 
an  apparent  one  to  the  finger.  This  makes  the  two  pull 
14 


152  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

equally.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  have  a  hook  with  a  spring, 
called  a  trigger  steelyard;  as  it  may  be  always  known  by 
this  when,  from  wear  and  tear,  a  trigger  pulls  more  or  less 
than  it  should  do. 

The  Nipple  is  a  very  small,  but  a  very  important  article 
in  the  gun.  It  formerly  used  to  be  placed  perpendicularly : 
but  it  is  now  the  rule  to  slope  the  nipples;  and,  although 
not  quite  so  convenient,  in  placing  on  the  caps,  the  present 
practice  is  safer,  in  the  event  of  an  accident  occurring,  by 
either  a  particle  of  the  copper  flying  from  the  cock,  or  by 
the  cock  being  blown  back  and  the  nipple  out.  The  eye  is 
not  then  so  immediately  in  contact.  The  hole  in  the  nipple 
is  frequently  supposed  to  be  scarcely  capable  of  being  too 
small;  and  I  have  heard  a  few,  who  have  even  grown  gray 
in  the  service,  express  a  belief  that  much  safety  depends 
upon  the  nipple  being  contracted.  All  things  when  worn 
out  should  be  cast  aside;  and  nipples  form  no  exception  to 
the  rule :  but  the  danger  of  blowing  the  cock  back,  from  a 
large  hole  in  the  nipple,  may  always  be  prevented  by  having 
a  strong  and  good  mainspring.  Some  nipples  are  formed 
on  the  outside  like  a  screw,  for  the  purpose  of  better  securing 
the  caps :  but  this  collects  dirt  and  rust ;  and  it  is  far  better 
to  have  them  perfectly  plain;  for,  if  the  caps  fit  well,  as  they 
should  do,  they  will  keep  on  quite  as  well  as  if  the  nipples 
were  grooved. 

The  CocA-,  or  striker,  should,  when  upon  the  nipple,  cover 
it  so  completely  that  none  of  the  copper  from  the  exploded 
cap  can  escape  from  its  grasp-  Many  an  eye  has  been  lost, 
in  consequence  of  the  neglect  of  this  ;  although  since  the  uni- 
versal use  of  the  stout  copper  caps,  which  yield  to  the  blow 
in  four  equal  divisions,  few  accidents  are  now  heard  of. 
But,  when  those  wretched  thin  "  French  caps  "  were  so  often 


CHOICE  OF  A  GUN.  153 

,  and  the  detonating  system  less  in  vogue,  accidents  of 
this  kind  were  very  frequent. 

As  an  instance  of  the  danger  attending  the  use  of  thin, 
cheap,  copper  caps,  I  shall  relate  what  befel  a  gentleman 
residing  in  the  north  of  Devonshire,  as  told  me  by  himself. 
His  eldest  son  had  just  returned  from  shooting,  bringing  his 
gun  into  the  house,  loaded.  The  father,  who  had  a  great 
objection  to  this  unsafe  proceeding,  took  the  gun  from  his 
son's  hands,  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  the  shot  and  firing 
off  the  powder.  At  the  time  of  taking  the  gun,  it  was  on 
the  half-cock.  Previously  to  inserting  the  rod  into  the  left- 
hand  barrel,  the  gentleman  put  both  the  cocks  upon  the 
nipples.  While  in  the  act  of  drawing  the  wadding  of  the 
near  barrel,  the  right-hand  one  exploded,  shattering  the 
trigger  finger  into  atoms ;  and  the  charge  grazing  his  fore- 
head. Now,  the  only  way  to  account  for  such  an  accident 
is  this;  for  my  friend  is  an  old  and  experienced  sportsman, 
and  cannot  be  mistaken  as  to  the  position  in  which  he  had 
placed  the  cocks:  The  striker  was  not  fairly  down  upon  the 
head  of  the  cap;  but  had  lodged  upon  the  side  of  it,  from  not 
being  properly  placed  on,  or  not  fitting,  the  nipple.  A  jar 
or  a  slip  caused  the  cock  to  descend,  when  the  butt  was 
placed  upon  the  ground ;  and  the  cap,  being  "  a  French 
one,"  was  too  thin  to  bear  the  slight  concussion.  If  it  had 
been  a  strong,  thick  cap,  there  could  have  been  no  such 
lamentable  result. 

Many  protections  have  been  invented,  to  save  the  eye 
from  the  flying  particles  of  the  cap:  but  none  are  so  effectual 
as  a  sloping  nipple,  with  a  strong,  thick  copper  cap,  and  a 
deep  concave-headed  cock  to  cover  it. 

A  Vent-hole  should  be  in  every  detonator;  otherwise,  the 
gun  is  sure  to  recoil  most  painfully  when  it  has  been  shot 


154  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

with  ten  or  a  dozen  times ;  although  I  cannot  deny  that  it 
may  shoot  somewhat  stronger  without  one. 

The  Ram-rod  should  be  thick.  Not  only  is  strength 
thereby  gained  in  this  indispensable  accompaniment,  the 
accidental  splintering  of  which  has  very  frequently  occa- 
sioned the  loss  of  a  good  day's  sport:  but  the  loading  is 
rendered  more  easy.  The  common  worm  at  the  end  is 
much  better  than  the  one  made  like  a  screw  ;  as  the  latter 
soon  becomes  useless  from  wear. 

The  Sight  should  be  very  small.  If  one  be  made  unne- 
cessarily large,  it  is  worse  than  useless,  by  its  being  an 
impediment  to  the  eye.  Except  for  those  in  the  rudiments 
of  sporting,  taking  deliberate  aim  at  unsuspecting  sparrows, 
the  sight  is  of  little  advantage;  and  will  be  quickly  uncared 
for,  when  the  novice  has  acquired  the  art  of  bringing  his 
gun  to  bear  quickly  upon  the  object.  I  have  seen  sights 
little  less  than  horse-beans;  and,  when  my  attention  has  been 
drawn  to  them,  I  have  wished  that  the  maker  had  an  incura- 
ble carbuncle  of  the  same  size  upon  his  nose,  decreed  to  last 
as  long  as  his  mortal  span  might  be  extended.  Colonel 
Hawker,  in  his  "  Instructions  to  Young  Sportsmen,"  dips 
into  the  mechanical  particulars  of  gun-making  much  farther 
than  I  intend  to  go ;  as  he  boldly  asserts  that  "  he  gave  the 
immortal  Joe  Manton  a  few  capital  wrinkles,  if  he  was  not 
the  inventor  of  copper  caps."  I  am  not  disposed  to  enter 
the  lists  with  the  gallant  Colonel ;  although  I  am  vain  enough 
to  believe  that  I  should  do  so  under  considerable  advantage  : 
as  he  evinces,  in  his  retorts  upon  his  critics  and  plagiarists, 
a  want  of  stoutness  of  hide ;  whereas  I  defy  the  heaviest 
cudgel  that  ever  thwacked  the  untanned  quarters  of  an  ass. 
However,  trusting  to  his  generosity  that  he  will  not  dub  me 
"  one  who  compiles  for  so  much  a  sheet,  and  who  'knows 
something  less  than  nothing  about  '  field  and  flood,' "  I  shall 


CHOICE  OF  A  GUN.  155 

insert  a  few  lines  of  his  great  work, — which  I  really  think 
should  have  been  entitled  "  THE  GUNMAKER'S  PRECEPTOR," 
instead  of  "  INSTRUCTIONS  TO  YOUNG  SPORTSMEN," — upon  the 
ELEVATION  of  a  gun.  The  Colonel  observes,  "  As  a  proof 
of  my  original  argument  in  favour  of  Joe  Manton's  eleva- 
tion, my  readers  need  only  observe  how  universal  it  has 
now  become  with  every  gunmaker  in,  and  even  out  of,  the 
kingdom.  It  would  be  therefore  a  waste  of  time  to  reprint 
my  former  arguments  in  support  of  it,  particularly  as  I 
may  substitute,  in  place  of  them,  something  new  on  the 
subject. 

"  By  further  discoveries,  I  have  pretty  well  proved  that  all 
of  us  sportmen,  the  whole  trade,  and  even  Joe  himself,  have 
been  somewhat  in  the  dark  about  the  precise  degree  for  this 
elevation  ;  and  this  is  perhaps  the  reason  why  many  quacks 
have  fancied  that  short  guns  will  kill  the  farthest.  They  talk 
nonsense :  but  still  the  short  guns  have  often  shown  off  best 
in  the  field.  Why  is  it  ?  because  the  gunmakers  regulate  the 
elevations  to  shoot  well  to  the  bull's  eye  ;  whereas  they  ought 
to  shoot  above  the  bull's  eye  ;  and  THE  LONGER  THE  GUN,  THE 
HIGHER  MUST  BE  THE  ELEVATION  !  Let  this  be  placarded  as 
a  golden  rule  for  every  sportsman  and  every  gunmaker  in  the 
kingdom.  Let  me  state  a  proof  of  this.  I  ordered  a  gun 
some  time  ago,  fourteen  gauge  and  two  feet  ten  barrels;  and 
selected  Charles  Lancaster  as  indisputably  one  of  the  best 
makers  (I  should  give  offence  perhaps  if  I  said  the  best  maker) 
now  in  London.  This  gun  shot  beautifully ;  but  no  better 
than  my  two  feet  eight  barrels!  'Now  then,  sir,'  said  many 
in  the  trade,  '  won't  you  be  convinced  that  your  extra  two 
inches  are  superfluous  ?'  At  first  I  began  to,  what  is  vulgarly 
called,  '  draw  in  my  horns :'  but  I  soon  discovered  what  was 
the  matter.  A  two  feet  ten  gun,  with  the  rifle  no  more  ele- 
vated than  a  two  feet  eight  gun,  invariably  puts  the  body  of 

14* 


156  THE  SPORTMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

the  charge  under  the  mark,  at  all  distances  beyond  about 
thirty-five  yards.  I  therefore  had  this  gun  botched  up,  for 
mere  experiment,  with  more  elevation ;  and  then  there  was 
not  a  detonator  in  my  possession  that  stood  any  chance  with 
it.  This  was  merely  giving  enough  elevation,  supposing  the 
object  to  be  within  point-blank  range ,  and  stationary  or  going 
straight  on.  But,  when  we  consider  that  all  objects  above  forty 
yards  are  so  far  beyond  point-blank  range,  that,  if  the  gun  is 
not  kept  well  up,  the  shot  will  fall  from  its  own  gravity ;  that 
a  long  snap-shot  is  always  at  a  rising,  and  not  at  a  straight- 
forward-going bird  ;  and  that,  if  a  good  shot  misses  through 
being  nervous,  it  is  almost  always  because  his  left  hand  drops 
as  he  flinches ;  we  should  rarely  err,  by  somewhat  over-ele- 
vating our  guns.  I  never  perhaps  should  have  proved  this, 
but  with  experiments  with  large  coast-guns ;  which  as  I  be- 
fore observed,  like  large  telescopes,  bring  things  to  light; 
and,  by  means  of  being  fired,  sometimes,  on  water  as  smooth 
as  a  looking-glass,  give  a  decided  evidence  of  all  the  effects 
that  are  produced  in  gunnery.  With  regard  to  elevation  in 
proportion  to  length,  the  late  General  Shrapnell  frequently 
observed  to  me  what  has  here  been  said  ;  and  so  has  the 
Baron  de  Berenger,  who  showed  me  a  very  clever  scale  on 
elevations :  and  therefore  it  would  not  be  fair  in  me  to  pub- 
lish one  ;  as,  by  so  doing,  I  should  more  or  less  have  to  copy 
the  sketches  of  the  Baron.  Enough  of  this  dry  subject :  so 
now  let  the  gunmakers,  and  many  sportsmen,  recollect,  that 
up  to  the  latest  period  there  has  still  been  something  for  them 
to  learn !  How  contemptible  therefore  is  it  for  any  man  to 
fancy  his  works  perfection  !  Now,  I  dare  say  the  gunmakers 
will  tell  you  they  knew  all  this  before  !  If  so,  then,  why 
have  they  not  profited  by  it  ?" 


CHOICE  OF  A  GUN.  157 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


FURTHER  OBSERVATIONS  ON   THE  CHOICE  OP  GUNS. THE 

LOCKS,  &C.,  &C. 

HITHERTO  I  have  been  speaking  of  a  gun  for  the  general 
purposes  of  shooting :  but  there  are  particular  descriptions  of 
sport  for  which  other  kinds  of  guns  are  better  suited  or  are 
absolutely  necessary.  For  shooting  exclusively  in  covert, 
shorter  barrels  than  I  have  mentioned  will  be  far  more  handy 
and  convenient ;  and,  as  a  long  shot  will  very  rarely  be  re- 
quired, the  not  throwing  the  lead  to  a  great  distance  is  of 
minor  consideration.  I  think,  for  this  object,  barrels  twenty- 
eight  or  twenty-nine  inches  are  of  sufficient  length  ;  and  the 
weight  of  the  gun  need  not  exceed  seven  or  seven  and  a 
half  pounds. 

A  Duck  gun, — I  am  not  alluding  to  the  stanchion  or  punt 
gun, — can,  without  a  doubt,  be  obtained  from  Westley  Rich- 
ards better  than  from  any  other  living  maker.  The  London 
makers  are  not  capable  of  turning  out  a  heavy  piece,  of  fifteen 
or  seventeen  pounds  weight.  They  can  manage  one  of  much 
less  weight,  say  under  fourteen  pounds ;  but  even  in  this  their 
gun  is  frequently  more  pleasing  to  the  eye  than  useful  in  the 
rough  work  for  which  it  is  destined. 

A  duck  gun  can  scarcely  be  too  plain.  Fancy  work  about 
it  is  as  ridiculous  as  the  placing  a  gold  band  round  a  "  sou'- 
wester "would  be.  The  stock  should  be  substantial ;  and  the 


158 

rule  that  I  have  before  referred  to,  about  its  being  straight, 
does  not  apply  to  this  description  of  gun.  It  should  curve 
materially  ;  as  this  not  only  lessens  the  recoil,  but,  in  holding 
out  so  great  a  weight,  it  is  impossible  to  drop  the  head  with 
the  same  facility  as  in  bringing  a  light  piece  to  the  shoulder. 
The  butt  should  be  very  broad.  This  tends  to  save  the 
shoulder  from  contusion ;  and  a  heelplate  is  quite  unneces- 
sary, as  it  is  sure  to  become  unsightly  from  rust,  immediately 
upon  being  used.  Instead  of  the  looking-glass  polish  which 
may  occasionally  be  seen  on  the  stocks  of  the  metropolitan 
makers,  paint,  and  a  little  varnish  over  it,  will  be  found  more 
attractive  in  appearance,  after  the  gun  has  been  a  few  times 
in  use,  and  a  preservative  against  the  cracking  influence  of 
the  salt  water.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  have  the  grasp,  or  as  the 
gunmakers  call  it,  "  the  grip"  whipped  with  waxed-end, 
like  the  handle  of  a  cricket  bat ;  which  is  also  an  assistance 
in  lessening  the  jar;  arid  nothing  that  will  tend  to  do  this 
should  be  lost  sight  of, 

The  length  of  the  barrels  to  be  used  without  a  rest  must 
depend  in  a  great  degree  upon  the  kind  of  gun  used  :  but 
whether  a  thick  short  barrel  be  used,  which  is  more  easy  to 
manage,  or  one  of  greater  length,  a  great  weight,  and  even 
equal  weight  of  metal  is  necessary  ;  for  nothing  will  effi- 
ciently check  the  recoil  of  a  duck  gun  but  metal.  The  short 
thick  gun  cannot  kill  so  far  as  the  long  one  ;  but  the  latter, 
when  carried  to  an  extreme,  is  very  inconvenient  in  bringing 
to  the  shoulder,  although  a  better  aim  may  be  obtained  by  it 
when  there.  As  in  most  things,  the  happy  medium  is  the 
best  to  be  observed,  for  all  purposes ;  and  barrels  from  forty- 
four  to  forty-eight  inches,  I  am  of  opinion,  are  better  than 
those  that  are  either  shorter  or  much  longer.  I  am  speaking 
of  a  gun  to  be  used  without  a  rest ;  for,  with  a  rest,  the  bar- 
rels can  scarcely  be  too  long,  if  the  bore  be  in  proportion. 


CHOICE  OF  A  GUN.  159 

I  have  known  Lancaster's  and  Long's  side-primer  strongly 
recommended  for  duck  guns,  in  preference  to  the  cap.  I 
have  not  tried  either  for  mine :  but  the  common  percussion 
having  pleased  me  much  better  for  my  fowling-piece,  than 
Lancaster's  primer  did,  I  have  the  same  cock  and  nipple  to 
my  duck  gun  as  to  others,  and  I  have  found  no  reason  to 
wish  for  an  improvement. 

The  object  of  a  duck  gun  is  to  kill  at  long  distances, 
by  carrying  double  the  charge  required  for  a  piece  of  com- 
mon size,  closely  and  with  effect.  The  weight  of  the  metal, 
the  calibre,  and  length  of  the  barrels,  enable  us  to  accomplish 
this,  by  using  large  shot  with  the  same  advantage  with  which 
Nos.  6  and  7  may  be  fired  from  an  ordinary  gun ;  and  thus 
an  object  may  be  killed  at  a  much  greater  distance,  and,  in 
the  case  of  a  flock  of  birds,  many  of  them  may  be  brought 
down. 

With  regard  to  the  weight  of  the  duck  gun,  it  must  de- 
pend on  the  charge  designed  for  it  to  carry.  If  intended  to 
carry  three  ounces  of  lead  with  effect,  it  should  not  be  less 
than  twelve  pounds,  and  need  not  exceed  fourteen :  to  carry 
four  or  five  ounces,  its  weight  should  not  be  less  than  eigh- 
teen, nor  exceed  twenty  pounds. 

The  Stanchion,  or  Punt  gun  designed  to  be  fired  into  flocks 
of  wild-fowl,  from  a  swivel,  should  be  from  seven  to  nine 
feet  in  length  of  barrel ;  seventy  to  eighty  pounds  in  weight ; 
and  the  calibre,  from  an  inch  and  a  quarter  to  an  inch 
and  a  half  bore,  in  proportion  to  the  length  and  weight  just 
named.  It  is  needless  to  say  that,  for  the  immensely  heavy 
charge  fired  from  a  stanchion,  it  should  be  substantial  in 
every  way,  more  especially  in  the  forging  of  the  barrel. 

Unless  the  boat  to  be  used  be  a  large  double-handed  punt, 
which  will  safely  float  a  gun  of  one  hundred  and  ten  or  one 
hundred  and  twenty  pounds  weight,  the  ignition  must  be 


160  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY, 

through  the  medium  of  the  common  flint ;  for  the  recoil  is  so 
great  from  the  detonator,  that  a  stanchion  of  eighty  or  ninety 
pounds  will  not  bear  it.  When  the  detonator  is  used,  the 
side-primer  is  deemed  the  best;  but  as  I  never  fired  a  stan- 
chion except  by  the  flint,  I  cannot  answer  for  the  assertion, 
from  any  experience  of  my  own. 

Colonel  Hawker,  to  whom  may  be  yielded  the  first  step 
on  the  ladder  of  this  branch  of  our  sports,  has  treated  wild- 
fowl shooting,  generally  and  particularly,  at  such  a  length 
that  there  is  nothing  left  for  me  or  for  any  body  to  add.  Any 
thing  that  I  could  suggest  would  of  necessity,  from  his  per- 
fect skill  and  long-tried  experience,  be  but  a  repetition  of 
what  he  has  already  published.  As  I  have  not  found  the 
pleasure  that  many  of  my  acquaintance  have,  in  the  labour 
and  chilling  miseries  of  paddling  a  punt  in  shore,  in  "  night's 
murky  darkness,"  towards  the  ooze  where  the  watchful  flock 
may  be  feeding,  to  blaze  among  them,  trusting  to  the  fickle 
goddess  for  many  or  few,  I  am  not  capable  of  saying  so 
much  from  my  own  knowledge  upon  this  subject,  as  one  ex- 
pressly professing  to  teach  "  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot," 
might  be  supposed  capable  of  doing.  It  is  not  my  province 
tq  carp  at  the  taste  of  my  fellow  sportsmen,  however  different 
it  may  be  from  my  own ;  and  I  mention  the  cause  of  my 
inability  to  teach  duck  shooting,  merely  by  way  of  justifying 
myself  in  referring  to  the  much  superior  skill  and  greater 
experience  of  another. 

Jn  his  excellent  work  on  guns  and  shooting,  Colonel  Haw- 
ker opcupies  3  very  large  space  with  the  pursuit  of  wild-fowl. 
Indeed,  this  seems  to  be  the  corner-stone  in  his  superstruc- 
ture. I  shall,  therefore,  while  on  this  subject,  quote  two  or 
three  of  his  pages,  as  the  want  of  the  information  they  con- 
tain might  cause  a  void  in  my  own.  The  Colonel,  while  on 
t}ie  subject  of  the  stanchion,  says,  that  "  As  guns  to  carry  a 


CHOICE  OF  A  GUN.  161 

pound  of  shot  at  a  time  are  now  to  be  constantly  seen  on  al- 
most every  part  of  the  coast,  as  well  as  in  most  of  the  fen 
countries,  the  very  few  men  who  formerly  had  them,  are  now 
surrounded  by  rivals;  and  therefore,  in  order  still  to  keep  the 
lead,  some  of  them  have  had  recourse  to  using  guns  that 
carry  from    one  pound   and  a-half  to  two   pounds  of  shot. 
The  recoil,  however,  from  these  guns  is  so  tremendous,  that 
most  of  the  men  who  used  them  have  met  with  some  acci- 
dent or  other,  and  are  therefore  giving  them  up.     The  de- 
sideratum then  is  to  accomplish  this,  with  no  more  recoil,  or 
risk  of  accidents,  than  there  is  with  other  guns  ;  and  thus  to 
have  an  advantage  over  the  host  of  ordinary  gunners. 
"  The  plan  that  I  have  adopted  is  as  follows;— 
"  A  pair  of  barrels,  put  together  so  as  to  fire  two  circles, 
each  one  partly  eclipsed  with  the  other  ;  the  one  ignited  byjoer- 
cussion,  and  the  other  by  a  flint ;  by  which  means  the  trifling 
difference  of  the  two  separate  modes  of  ignition  makes  such  an 
immense  difference  in  the  recoil,  as  to  reduce  it  to  a  mere  no- 
thing in  comparison.     The  proper  way  to  do  this,  is  to  put 
the  barrels  together,  so  that  the  cylinders  are  parallel  to  each 
other;  by  which  of  course  they  become  far  apart  at  the  muz- 
zles.    The  eclipsed  part  of  the  circles,  when  the  two  barrels 
are  fired  together,  puts  into  the  paper  at  least  a  fourth  more 
shot  than  any  one  barrel  could  be  made  to  do ;  and  the  enor- 
mous weight  of  metal  not  only  gives  additional  strength  to  the 
double  discharge,  but  also  to  either  barrel  when  you  fire  them 
separately,  which  of  course  ymi  have  the  option  of  doing ; 
and  therefore  you  are  never  obliged  to  discharge  an  extra 
pound  of  shot  in  waste,  as  with  the  huge  single  guns  before 
alluded  to.     Moreover,  the  gun,  an  my  plan,  cuts  two  united 
lanes  through  the  birds,  instead  of  wasting  half  the  shot  in  the 
water  and  in  the  air ;  which  is  the  case  when  the  charge  is 
contained  in  one  large  circle.     In  shortj  this  plan,  as  it  were, 


162  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

forms  a  kind  of  oval,  to  suit  the  shape  of  the  object ;  and 
thus,  at  the  moment  that  one  part  of  the  birds  are  being 
killed  by  the  detonator,  the  others  are  just  conveniently  open- 
ing their  wings  for  the  flint  barrel,  though  they  have  not  time 
to  rise  ;  because  I  have  here  eased  the  recoil,  and  got  the  bar- 
rels together  so  as  to  do  the  business  point  blank. 

"  The  mode  of  easing  the  recoil  is  by  means  of  a  long  loop, 
worked  on,  between  and  under  the  barrels;  and  the  swivel- 
pin  going  through  a  slider,  on  which  rests  the  whole  weight  of 
the  gun.  The  space  within  this  loop,  (about  eight  inches,) 
with  exception  of  an  inch  and  five-eighths  that  is  taken  up  by 
the  slider,  is  filled  with  a  spiral  spring,  which  has  a  play 
of  rather  more  than  two  inches  ;  and  if  it  had  four  or  five 
inches  of  play,  I  should  think  it  would  be  all  the  better.) 
Consequently,  before  any  jar  can  take  place,  to  interrupt 
the  point  blank  delivery  of  the  charge,  the  shot  has  left  the 
gun  ;  which  is  afterwards  brought  forward  again,  by  the  re- 
action of  the  spring.  The  loop  should  be  made  of  horse- 
nail  stubs,  and  forged  on  to  the  barrels.  Mine  is  not  so  ; 
therefore  if  this  part  fails,  the  fault  lies  with  the  late  Mr.  Ful- 
lard,  and  not  with  me.  Suppose  this  was  to  give  way, — 
which  would  be  almost  impossible,  if  done  as  it  should  be, — 
then  you  have  a  ring  in  the  stock,  (all  of  which,  except  a 
moveable  butt  is  of  ca?mon  metal,)  with  a  reserve  rope  that 
takes  up  the  recoil  immediately. 

"  No  plan  that  I  had  ever  before  seen  was  worthy  of  being 
compared  to  this ;  and  in  every  possible  way  I  have  tried 
both  the  gun  and  punt." 

Ji  Pigeon  gun,  or  one  used  for  the  express  purpose  of  trap 
shooting,  should  have  a  large  gauge  ;  as  the  larger  the  bore 
and  charge,  the  wider  the  circle  of  the  shot.  I  never  was, 
and  never  shall  be,  a  utrap  shot;"  for  I  see  no  sport  in 
slaughtering  in  so  tame  and  spiritless  a  manner.  However, 


CHOICE    OF  A   GUN.  163 

as  some  of  my  readers  may  require  a  gun  of  this  description,  I 
shall  not  pass  it  over  without  a  few  words  upon  the  choice 
of  it.  As  a  matter  of  course,  the  wider  the  circle  of  shot,  the 
weaker  the  blow  of  the  charge ;  and  as  a  pigeon,  to  fall  with- 
in bounds,  is  a  bird  well  known  to  require  to  be  hit  hard,  the 
calibre  must  not  be  so  large  as  to  scatter  the  shot  in  too  wide 
a  circle.  As  the  means  of  avoiding  the  two  extremes  in  this 
branch  of  shooting,  I  think  twelve  gauge  the  best. 

Particular  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  stock  of  a  pigeon 
gun.  It  is  scarcely  possible  to  err  in  having  the  stock  as 
straight  as  can  be  managed  with  ;  the  majority  of  birds  missed 
from  a  trap  being  so  in  consequence  of  shooting  under  them; 
and  nothing  is  so  likely  to  occasion  this  as  a  crooked  stock. 

As  a  man  is  very  likely  to  be'  nervous  when  exhibiting 
before  an  assemblage,  backing  his  skill  and  betting  against 
it,  I  advise  him  to  be  more  than  ordinarily  particular  in  the 
pull  of  his  trigger.  As  his  finger  may  not  feel  quite  under 
his  control,  when  he  may  most  require  it,  I  think  the  trigger 
had  better  be  set  a  trifle  heavier  than  those  he  may  be  in  the 
habit  of  pulling.  At  any  rate,  it  should  not  be  the  gravity 
of  a  hair  lighter. 

The  grasp  or  "  grip"  in  this  gun,  as,  indeed,  in  all  others, 
except  those  heavy  metal  pieces  used  in  duck  shooting,  should 
be  cut  away  as  much  as  possible,  consistently  with  the  strength 
absolutely  necessary ;  as  this  gives  a  pleasant  hold.  The 
same  rule  applies  with  regard  to  the  balance  of  the  gun :  but 
as  greater  nicety  is  required  in  pigeon  shooting  than  in  the 
field,  it  may  be  well  to  draw  particular  attention  to  this  essen- 
tial regulation :  for,  if  the  gun  be  in  the  smallest  degree  top- 
heavy,  it  is  certain  to  shoot  under ;  and  a  pigeon  hit  on  the 
rump  seldom  counts  in  the  number  killed.  In  proportion  to 
the  weight  of  the  gtfn,  the  maker  must  adapt  the  lead ;  so 
that  on  holding  it  across  and  flat  on  the  hand  in  balancing  it, 
15 


164  THE 

the  shooter  may  find  a  sufficient  equilibrium  to  cause  the  gun 
to  rest  steadily  there. 

In  my  humble  opinion  it  is  not  possible  to  have  guns,  of 
every  description,  too  plain.  The  work  in  every  part,  from 
the  muzzle  of  the  barrels  to  the  heel-plate,  should  be  good, 
sound,  and  highly  finished  ;  but  scroll-guards,  silver  mount- 
ings, and  such-like  fanciful,  foreign  gingerbread,  and  useless 
accompaniments,  are  unworthy  of  the  English  sportsman's 
use. 

The  locks  of  all  guns  should,  like  the  works  of  all  watches 
designed  to  keep  time  and  be  of  service,  be  strong  and  well 
finished ;  and  as  the  proof  must  be  rather  in  the  wear  than  in 
the  examination  of  them,  I  shall  merely  say, — to  avoid  dis- 
appointment, go  to  a  respectable  maker,  whom  you  can  trust 
for  turning  out  work  creditably  to  himself  and  satisfactorily 
to  you. 

A  lock  consists  of  a  "  Mainspring"  by  which  the  tumbler 
is  worked  with  the  cock  ;  the  "  Scear"  which  catches  the 
tumbler  for  half  or  whole  cock,  and  which,  being  pushed  up 
by  the  trigger,  lets  the  striker  down  upon  the  nipple :  the 
"  Tumbler  "  which  is  the  centre-piece  of  the  lock,  moving 
with  the  striker:  "  Tumbler-screw"  the  screw  which  fastens 
on  the  cock :  the  "  Scear- sp  ring  7"  which  presses  the  scear 
and  holds  it  in  the  notches  of  the  tumbler  for  either  half  or 
whole  cock  :  "  Chain  or  Swivel,"  which  is  a  little  catch  sus- 
pended from  the  neck  of  the  tumbler  to  receive  the  end  of 
the  mainspring:  u  Hammer -spring  "  on  which  the  hammer 
is  moved  ;  and  "  Hammer -bridle  "  the  part  in  which  the  tail 
of  the  hammer  works  :  (I  need  scarcely  say,  that  I  am  alluding 
to  the  lock  of  a  flint  gun  as  well  as  a  detonator,  inasmuch  as 
I  have  mentioned  that  for  single  stanchions  of  seventy  or 
eighty  pounds,  the  flint  is  better  adapted  than  the  detonator:) 
"Bridle"  consisting  of  a  polished  piece  of  steel,  which  caps 


CHOICE  OF  A  GUN.  165 

the  tumbler,  and  afterwards  receives  the  scear-screw:  "  Jaws" 
the  lips  of  the  cock  which  hold  the  flint :  "  Side-nail"  the 
screw  that  fastens  on  the  lock. 

The  mechanical  names  for  the  remaining  principal  parts  of 
a  gun  are  :  u  False-breeching"  where  the  ends  of  the  breech- 
ings  hook  in,  before  the  barrels  can  be  laid  in  the  slock  ; 
"  Bolts"  the  pieces  of  steel  which  fasten  the  barrels  into  the 
stock ;  "  Chamber  "  the  principal  tube  in  the  breeching ; 
"  Ante-chamber,"  the  smaller  tube  leading  from  the  breeching 
to  the  touch-hole  ;  "  Break-off,"  the  part  where  the  breech- 
ing hooks  into  the  false  breech;  "  Lock-plate"  is  the  plate 
to  which  the  lock  is  attached  ;  "  Loops"  are  the  eyes  to  the 
barrel  which  receive  the  bolts  that  fasten  in  the  stock ; 
"  Guard"  the  bow  which  protects  the  triggers ;  "  Nipple" 
that  which  holds  the  percussion  cap,  and  on  which  it  is  ex- 
ploded by  the  cock ;  "  Heel-plate"  the  plate  with  which  the 
butt  is  tipped  ;  "  Cup,"  the  concave  at  the  top  of  improved 
breeching;  "  Rib,"  the  strip  on  which  the  ramrod  slides; 
"  Pipes  "  loops  in  the  barrel  to  receive  the  ramrod  ;  "  Sight," 
the  dot  of  gold  or  silver  on  the  nose  of  the  barrel ;  "  Top- 
piece"  groove  or  elevation,  along  which  is  directed  the  aim  ; 
"  Fence"  part  between  cock  and  pan  on  which  the  solid 
cock  is  received ;  "  Trigger-plate,"  the  plate  in  which  the 
triggers  work ;  "  Trigger-springs,"  the  springs  which  keep 
the  triggers  always  against  the  scear;  "  Worm,"  the  screw 
at  the  end  of  the  ramrod  ;  "  Cap,"  the  covering  for  the 
worm. 

These  are  the  proper  titles  for  the  principal  parts  of  a  gun. 
To  a  sportsman  they  should  all  be  familiar. 


166  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY, 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

LOADING  A  GUN.- — POWDER  AND  SHOT.— ^-CARTRIDGES. 

WADDING,  &C. 

ONE  of  the  best  shots  that  I  ever  saw  in  the  field  used 
equal  measures  of  powder  and  shot,  shooting  with  an  ounce 
and  a  quarter  of  the  latter.  I  invariably  charge  with  this 
weight  of  lead,  but  use  a  somewhat  less  measure  of  powder. 

I  am  now  speaking  of  the  common  detonating  fowling- 
piece.  Before  putting  in  the  powder,  the  cocks  should  be 
put  down  upon  the  nipples;  otherwise  the  powder  will,  in 
ramming  it,  be  forced  out  of  them.  The  gun  should  not  be 
held  too  perpendicularly,  but  at  an  angle  of  about  45°:  and 
in  forcing  down  the  wadding,  it  should  not  be  done  with  a 
jerk,  or  unnecessary  violence,  as  the  ram-rod  is  likely  to  be 
splintered  by  such  a  proceeding.  The  caps  should  be  put 
on  last.  This  ensures  safety,  when  your  hand  must  of  ne- 
cessity be  immediately  over  the  charge ;  but  your  head  never 
need,  and  never  should  be. 

I  have  known  some  who,  if  years  and  constant  practice 
were  sufficiently  instructive,  ought  to  have  known  better, 
squib  a  little  powder  out  of  their  barrels,  and  snap  off  a 
couple  of  caps,  previously  to  charging  the  gun  for  use.  No 
absolute  injury  can  be  ascribed  to  the  blazing  off  a  little 
powder,  unless  it  may  tend  to  make  your  young  dogs  wild 
at  the  commencement,  and  startle  perhaps  your  unsuspecting 


POWDER  A\O  SHOT.  107 

neighbours :  but  wasting  your  caps,  without  any  powder, 
drives  the  detonating  gas  into  the  barrels,  which  creates 
rust ;  for,  when  the  gun  is  loaded,  the  flash  of  the  detonating 
powder  never  enters  the  barrel  at  all.  Snapping  the  cocks 
upon  the  nipples,  without  caps,  will,  most  likely,  give  your 
gunmaker  a  job,  by  breaking  the  striker  or  the  nipple. 

In  putting  your  gun  aside  loaded,  you  should  take  the 
caps  off;  not  only  on  account  of  the  danger  in  leaving  them 
on,  which  is  a  sufficient  reason  in  itself,  if  the  gun  be  left  in 
a  situation  where  it  is  possible  to  be  trifled  with,  but  the 
springs  must  be  either  left  straining  at  half  cock,  or  the 
cocks  let  down;  and  then  there  is  a  very  great  likelihood  of 
the  powder  in  the  nipples  becoming  jammed  into  a  paste. 
The  place  where  a  gun  is  kept,  should  be  entirely  free  from 
damp:  but  more  especially  so  when  the  gun  is  loaded;  and 
then,  with  fresh  caps,  there  is  no  danger  of  a  miss-fire. 

Except  for  large  punt  guns,  the  powder  should  be  very 
finegrained;  and  it  cannot  be  too  dry.  It  should  be  new, 
too;  for  with  age  it  loses  strength;  and  unless  it  be  power- 
ful, it  will  not  be  effective  in  a  long  shot. 

11  When  but  an  idle  boy,"  I  lost  a  capital  day's  shooting 
entirely  through  using  old  powder;  and  my  grievous  loss  made 
a  lasting  effect  on  my  memory. 

When  the  proper  stuff,  gunpowder  is  concocted  of  pure 
ingredients,  properly  proportioned,  and  well  mingled  ;  and 
when  possessing  these  qualities,  and  kept  dry,  the  fault,  in 
the  greatest  number  of  instances,  if  fault  there  be,  u  lies  be- 
hind the  trigger."  To  heat  a  couple  of  plates,  and,  first  of 
all  taking  care  that  no  small  cinder  is  attached  to  them  which 
might  explode  the  whole,  to  shake  the  powder  from  one  to 
the  other,  is  both  a  good  and  safe  method  of  drying  it.  I 
have  heard  of  baking  it  in  ovens,  and  such  like  "skying  " 
modes:  but  gunpowder  is  not  a  slow-burning  material,  and 

15* 


168  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

mus  not  be  treated  as  such  if  accidents  are  to  be  avoided. 
To  preserve  the  strength  of  powder,  after  being  dried,  it 
should  be  well  corked  from  the  air,  in  canisters. 

There  may  be  powder  as  good  ;  but  I  am  quite  certain  that 
there  is  none  better,  for  sporting  purposes,  than  that  made  by 
Messrs.  Curtis  and  Harvey,  at  Hounslow.  I  have  shot  with 
it  for  a  long  time,  and  I  believe  nothing  can  be  an  improve- 
ment upon  it. 

Doubtful  as  the  assertion  may  seem,  the  size  of  grain  of 
the  powder  should  be  proportioned  to  the  size  of  the  gun,  and 
the  range  for  which  it  is  required,  as  the  wadding  must  be  to 
the  calibre.  Small  or  fine  grained  powder  shoots  weak  be- 
yond a  distance  of  fifty  or  sixty  yards,  and  signally  fails  in 
large  guns  ;  especially  on  salt  water,  or  in  damp  weather. 
If  a  punt  gun  be  charged  with  fine  powder,  and  left  for  one 
night,  the  probability  is  that  it  would  hang  fire  in  the  morn- 
ing. Coarse  cannon  powder  is  the  best  for  duck  guns:  but, 
in  using  it,  care  must  be  taken  to  regulate  your  charge  by 
weight;  as  the  grains  are  so  large  that  a  common  flask  top 
would  contain  as  much  vacuum  as  powder,  and  therefore  you 
might  have  not  more  than  half  the  quantity  required. 

For  an  unusually  long  range,  and  a  large  heavy  gun,  there 
is  no  powder  so  good  as  the  coarse,  unglazed,  cannon 
powder :  but  for  a  light,  common  fowling-piece,  it  should  be 
fine  ;  and  if  unglazed,  so  much  the  better :  for  it  is  never  so 
strong  or  so  quick,  when  this  unnecessary  process  has  been 
gone  through  ;  and  I  believe  it  not  in  the  smallest  degree 
more  impervious  to  damp. 

When  a  gun  recoils  violently,  it  is  in  consequence  of  the 
weight  of  shot  being  more  than  the  calibre  and  metal  of  the 
gun  wjll  allow.  The  powder  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with 
it.  If,  therefore,  you  find  your  piece  recoil  forcibly,  when 
clean  and  in  order,  (and  most  guns  wiU  give  your  shoulder 


POWDER  AND  SHOT.  169 

intelligence  of  neglect,)  you  should  reduce  your  weight  of 
lead.  There  is  nothing  more  likely  to  render  a  man  nervous, 
and  put  him  out  of  confidence,  than  the  dread  of  a  severe 
blow,  upon  the  pulling  of  his  trigger.  This  anticipation  is 
far  from  being  agreeable ;  and  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  shoot 
with  comfort,  if  you  expect  your  nose  to  be  knocked  into 
your  eye,  a  finger  or  two  lacerated  to  the  bone  with  the  trig- 
ger, and  your  shoulder  bruised  from  a  deep  black  to  the 
diversity  of  colours  in  the  rainbow. 

It  is  by  no  means  unusual  to  see  a  man  choose  the  size  of 
the  shot  in  correspondence  with  the  size  of  the  game  or  bird 
that  he  is  going  to  shoot  at ;  when  it  ought  to  depend  rather 
on  the  gauge  of  the  gun ;  for  it  is  not  the  particular  size  of 
the  pellet,  but  the  velocity  with  which  it  is  driven,  that  does 
the  business. 

There  can  be  no  objection  to  the  use  of  large  shot  in  cer- 
tain kinds  of  shooting;  and  a  hare,  a  rabbit,  or  a  duck,  will 
take  a  severer  blow  than  a  partridge ;  but  for  every  kind  of 
shooting,  when  you  mny  wish  to  be  prepared  for  a  pheasant 
down  to  a  John  Snipe,  No.  6  will  fill  your  bag,  and  give  you 
more  success  than  any  changeable  plan  you  may  adopt. 

To  give  an  instance  of  what  varying  the  size  of  your  shot 
may  do,  I  shall  relate  a  laughable  occurrence  that  befel  a 
young  friend  of  mine,  not  forty-eight  hours  previously  to  my 
recording  it  in  this  page.  There  were  a  few  ducks  reported 
to  have  dropped  within  a  short  distance  from  his  home. 
Charging  his  best  double  barrel  with  No.  4  he  sallied  forth, 
bent  upon  their  destruction.  In  crossing  a  moor  towards  the 
narrow  stream  in  which  report  stated  the  ducks  were  to  be 
found,  a  couple  of  snipes  flapped  from  the  rush.  Bang,  bang! 
roared  his  piece ;  but  the  fleet-pinioned  birds  threw  back  a 
triumphant  "scape"  and  winged  away,  long  after  every  pel- 


170 

let  of  No.  4  had  spent  its  force  in  the  air.  Assigning  the 
magnitude  of  the  pellets  as  the  cause  of  his  missing,  and  in 
the  belief  that  he  should  find  more  of  the  puzzling  and  quick- 
winged  snipes,  he  loaded  with  dust  shot.  Scarcely,  how- 
ever, had  he  put  caps  upon  his  nipples,  when  a  fine  mallard 
rose  within  easy  range.  At  the  broadside  poured  into  him, 
he  merely  increased  the  speed  of  his  departure.  Now,  sup- 
posing there  to  be  no  fault  behind  the  trigger,  No.  6  would 
have  brought  down  all  three  of  these  birds ;  whereas  by 
charging  with  shot  for  a  particular  purpose,  which  the  Fates 
decreed  to  be  frustrated,  the  whole  of  them  escaped. 

If  large  shot  be  used  with  a  small  gun,  it  will  fly  wide  and 
scatter  irregularly.  The  calibre  being  ill  adapted  for  the  shot, 
the  charge  cannot  leave  the  barrel  in  a  body;  and  a  small  ob- 
ject may  easily  escape,  or  be  so  slightly  wounded  from  a 
single  pellet,  that  the  bag  is  none  the  heavier;  for,  as  I  have 
before  said,  the  execution  does  not  depend  upon  the  size  of  the 
shot,  but  on  the  velocity  with  which  it  is  thrown. 

The  advantages  of  using  small  shot  are  many.  In  the 
first  place,  the  circle  of  the  charge  must  be  thicker ;  for  the 
pellets  become  increased  in  number  as  the  scale  of  their  size 
is  decreased.  To  one  ounce  of  No.  4,  for  instance,  there  are 
one  hundred  and  seventy-seven  pellets;  while,  to  a  similar 
weight  of  No.  6,  the  regulation  standard,  there  are  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty.  It  must  be  perfectly  obvious,  too,  that 
the  chances  of  at  least  hitting  your  game  are  greater,  from 
the  density  of  the  circle,  than  if  it  were  full  of  voids  and 
blanks.  The  shot,  also,  lies  more  close  and  compact;  and 
will,  in  ninety-nine  instances  out  of  every  hundred,  hit  an 
object  in  the  same  manner  at  the  same  range;  whereas,  if 
disproportioned  to  the  calibre  of  the  gun,  it  will  not  do  so 
twice  in  the  same  given  number  of  times. 

While  on  the  subject  of  shot,  I  may  mention  that  it  is 


POWDER  AXD  SHOT.  171 

quite  possible  to  use  too  small.  Dust  shot,  for  example,  is 
too  small,  except  for  butter-flies;  No.  9  being  sufficiently 
small  for  any  thing  besides. 

Large  shot,  from  guns  of  a  large  gauge,  will  kill  game 
cleanly  at  distances  that  it  would  be  absurd  to  attempt  with 
the  same  shot  from  small  and  contracted  calibres.  At  the 
latter  end  of  the  season,  therefore,  when  by  an  accident  only 
you  can  expect  to  get  near  your  birds,  it  is  a  good  rule  to 
use  a  large  and  long  single  gun,  and  load  with  No.  3  or 
No.  4.  I  do  not  mean  to  deny  that  large  shot  from  a  small 
gun  may  not  occasionally  bring  down  your  game,  at  a  range 
which  shot  of  a  less  size  would  have  failed  in  reaching  with 
effect:  but  it  will  be  far  from  conducive  to  filling  the  bag; 
and  many  fair  and  easy  shots  will  be  missed,  in  the  unequal 
and  scattered  circle  that  such  a  mode  of  charging  must  of 
necessity  make. 

I  have  said,  that  I  generally  shoot  with  an  ounce  and  a 
quarter  of  shot,  but  that  my  measure  of  powder  is  somewhat 
less.  I  also  stated,  that  a  capital  sportsman  of  my  acquaint- 
ance used  equal  measures  of  powder  and  shot.  I  do  not, 
however,  mean  to  allege  that  either  of  these  modes  is  a  pre- 
cedent from  which  there  should  be  no  deviation.  On  the 
contrary,  the  quantity  of  powder  and  shot  for  shooting  in 
the  field,  should  depend  on  the  way  in  which  a  gun  throws 
the  charge,  as  well  as  the  weight  of  metal.  For  instance, 
if  a  gun  be  a  close  shooting  gun,  it  will  bear  less  shot  and 
more  powder  than  a  piece  with  a  tendency  to  scatter  the 
charge.  I  have  a  gun  by  Egg,  that  drives  the  shot  for  forty- 
five  yards  little  less  closely  than  an  ounce  and  quarter  bullet 
would  flv.  With  this  piece,  in  order  to  distend  the  circle, 
I  use  a  bumper  of  powder  from  the  top  of  my  flask ;  and 
thus  the  measure  is  rather,  but  very  little,  more  than  that  of 
my  lead.  If  I  were  in  the  habit,  as  many  are,  of  loading 


172  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

with  an  ounce  and  a  half  of  shot,  I  should  reduce  it,  instead 
of  increasing  the  quantity  of  my  powder.  But  as  I  think  the 
ounce  and  quarter  as  little  as  ought  to  be  used  in  any  gun, 
I  am  obliged  to  add  to  my  powder  instead  of  reducing  my 
shot. 

In  order  to  know  to  a  certainty  how  a  gun  carries,  ex- 
periments should  be  made  at  varying  distances,  at  sheets  of 
paper.  You  can  then  regulate  your  charge  in  accordance 
with  the  proved  necessity  of  so  doing ;  and  you  will  discover 
that,  although  guns  may  be  equal  in  gauge,  length  of  barrel, 
and  weight  of  metal,  it  does  not  follow  that  they  will  shoot 
alike.  I  believe,  as  I  have  said  before,  that  Lancaster  can 
make  any  given  number  to  shoot  alike.  I  am  not,  however, 
speaking  of  any  particular  maker,  or  kind  of  guns;  but  of 
the  generality  of  them. 

By  far  the  greater  number  of  even  accomplished  and  ex- 
perienced sportsmen  do  not  pay  sufficient  attention  to  the 
loading  of  their  guns.  If  they  would  only  reflect,  that  how- 
ever good  and  direct  the  aim,  in  many  instances  the  game, 
to  their  astonishment,  escapes,  they  would  be  induced  to 
remove  the  true  cause  of  their  discomfiture,  by  regulating 
the  charge  to  the  capacity  of  their  guns.  The  rule  should 
be,  not  to  take  for  granted  what  a  gun  ought  to  have  from 
its  calibre,  length,  and  weight ;  but  it  should  be  tested,  and 
then  the  proper  charge  never  deviated  from. 

Unglazed  shot  is  to  be  recommended  as  well  as  unglazed 
powder,  although  on  a  different  account.  A  gun  will  not 
become  foul  nearly  so  soon  when  the  shot  is  unglazed.  And 
as  this  process  is  quite  useless,  except  to  give  a  brighter  and 
cleaner  appearance  to  the  pellets,  the  sooner  it  is  discounte- 
nanced the  better. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  number  of  pellets  to  AN 

OUNCE  of 


POWDER  AND  SHOT. 


173 


PATENT  DROP  SHOT. 


AA 
A 

B  B 
B 

1 
2 


40 
50 
58 
75 
82 
112 


135      10 


177 
218 
280 
341 
600 
984 
1726 


MOULD  SHOT. 


L  G 
M  G 

S  G 


9 
11 


SSG        15 

S  S  S  G  .  17 


In  shooting  wild-fowl  with  the  common  duck  gun,  the 
best  shot  to  use  is  K',  for  generally  they  are  so  wary  that  it 
is  quite  impossible  to  get  a  fair  cut  at  them ;  and  as  they  will 
fly  a  long  distance  even  when  stricken  mortally,  there  is  no- 
thing like  this  stinging  pellet  to  bring  them  down.  For  the 
stanchion  of  seventy  or  eighty  pound  barrel,  that  will  throw  a 
pound  of  shot  and  burn  two  ounces  of  powder,  No.  1.  is  the 
most  effective  size,  and  will  rake  the  flock  in  a  sweeping 
circle. 

After  many  experiments  and  repeated  failures,  Eley's  car- 
tridge has  become  a  truly  useful  invention  for  the  sportsman. 
At  one  time  there  was  so  much  uncertainty  with  regard  to 
the  way  in  which  it  would  reach  the  object,  that  it  became 
quite  out  of  use  ;  as  there  was  just  as  great  a  likelihood  and 
rather  more,  of  its  "  balling"  to  the  end,  as  of  its  dispersing 
the  shot.  This  difficulty,  however,  which  threatened  destruc- 
tion to  the  speculation,  has  been  surmounted  ;  and  now  these 
cartridges,  for  game  late  in  the  season,  and  for  wild-fowl 
shooting  in  the  day-time,  or,  indeed,  for  all  long  shots,  are 


174  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

exceedingly  valuable.  I  do  not  recommend  the  use  of  the 
cartridge  for  general  shooting.  It  carries  much  too  closely 
for  a  bird  within  a  short  range  :  and  the  chances  are,  that  it 
will  either  knock  the  game  to  pieces,  or  miss  the  object  alto- 
gether, at  any  distance  under  forty  yards. 

The  "  Blue  "  cartridge  is  the  best  for  ordinary  purposes, 
and  the  "  Red  "  for  extraordinary.  If  it  be  too  large  for  the 
gun,  roll  it  hard  ;  and  if  a  shade  too  small,  ram  a  wadding 
over  it.  Wadding  on  the  powder  will  drive  the  cartridge 
with  much  greater  force,  and  is  by  far  the  best  plan  to 
adopt. 

There  are  several  kinds  of  Wadding  dubbed  with  the  title 
of  "  patent,"  and  many  of  them  very  good.  Westley  Ri- 
chards, Purdey,  Lancaster,  and  others,  have  sent  forth  their 
respective  "  wrinkles  ;"  and  all  have  found  their  patrons. 
The  wadding  from  the  makers  I  have  named  is  anointed  with 
a  mercurial  preparation,  which  keeps  the  gun  much  cleaner, 
and  more  free  from  lead,  than  wadding  cut  with  the  common 
punch  out  of  pasteboard.  Metallic  wadding  is  becoming  ob- 
solete, and  very  properly ;  for  to  many  barrels  they  have 
proved  extremely  injurious  ;  and  they  never  keep  the  powder 
air-tight  nor  the  gun  so  clean  as  an  elastic  substance. 

Greater  force  is  required,  in  ramming  down  the  shot,  than 
the  powder,  with  the  same  stiff'  and  tight  wadding.  This  is 
easily  accounted  for  by  the  air  finding  vent  from  the  nipples, 
notwithstanding  the  cocks  being  down  upon  them  ;  which  it 
cannot  do,  when  the  powder  is  rammed  in.  It  is  quite  Ne- 
cessary that  the  powder  should  have  a  tight  and  flat  wadding 
over  it:  but  there  is  no  reason  that  the  shot  should  have 
great  resistance  to  its  escape.  Indeed,  so  long  as  it  lies  firm 
and  compactly,  and  there  is  no  vacuum  between  it  and  the 
powder  the  object  of  the  wadding  is  attained.  A  hole  in  the 
centre  of  the  wadding  intended  for  the  shot,  or  indentures 


CARTRIDGES.  175 

round  the  edge,  will  permit  the  air  to  escape,  obviate  the 
risk  of  breaking  your  ramrod,  and  facilitate  the  operation  of 
loading, 

I  do  not  advise  using  different  wadding  for  the  powder  and 
shot ;  as  keeping  them  separate  would  give  trouble,  and  the 
respective  waddings  might  by  mistake  be  placed  in  wrong 
positions.  I  merely  suggest  how  the  resistance  may  be  over- 
come. I  have  known  different  colours  for  the  wadding  recom- 
mended. This  certainly  would  prevent  mistakes  :  but  dif- 
ferent pockets  would  be  required  to  contain  them  ;  and  I  think 
a  little  patience  and  gentle  force  will  suit  better  than  two  kinds 
of  wadding.  However,  if  a  tyro  cannot  refrain  from  splinter- 
ing his  ramrod  extravagantly  often,  he  had  much  better  try 
the  pierced  or  indented  wadding  for  his  shot. 

If  you  cut  your  own  wadding,  it  should  be  done  from  paste- 
board for  a  fourteen  gauge  ;  and  the  larger  the  calibre,  the 
thicker  the  board  should  be.  For  a  sixteen  bore,  I  think  com- 
mon card  the  best ;  although,  as  it  is  very  thin,  it  should  fit 
the  barrel  tightly  ;  more  especially  in  a  double  gun,  as  the 
charge  in  one  barrel  has  to  encounter  the  effect  of  the  explo- 
sion of  the  other. 

It  is  a  safe  method  to  ram  the  charge  in  one  barrel  afresh, 
after  reloading  the  other  barrel  which  you  have  let  off'.  By 
this  you  will  avoid  the  very  great  danger  of  having  a  vacuum 
between  the  powder  and  shot,  caused  by  the  explosion  of  the 
discharged  barrel ;  and  also  the  annoyance  of  losing  the  whole 
or  part  of  the  shot,  from  the  displacement  of  the  wadding 


covering  it. 


You  should  be  particular  in  having  the  punch  suited  to  the 
calibre  of  your  barrels.  If  either  too  large  or  too  small,  it  will 
give  you  much  unnecessary  trouble.  ..If  too  small,  you  can 
rectify  the  punch,  by  grinding  it  down  a  little  :  for  all  punches 
taper  to  the  edge,  and  can  easily  be  made  to  cut  larger. 
16 


176 


CHAPTER  XV. 


CLEANING  A  GUN  ;    THE  BARRELS  AND  LOCKS. SHOT-POUCH  ; 

SHOT-BELT;  POWDER  FLASK;  NIPPLE  PROBE,  &c. 

NOTHING  tends  so  much  to  preserve  a  gun  as  keeping  the 
barrels,  locks,  and  every  part  of  it,  clean,  and  entirely  free 
from  rust.  In  using  your  gun,  too,  there  is  a  great  comfort 
when  it  is  in  perfect  order ;  which  cannot  be  enjoyed  if  the 
barrels  are  leaded,  the  lock-springs  harsh  and  squeaking,  and 
the  outside  sprinkled  with  rust. 

The  cleaning,  in  the  very  best  possible  manner,  is  a  very 
simple  operation  ;  so  simple  that  to  many  it  must  appear  need- 
less to  occupy  with  it  the  smallest  space  in  this  volume.  But 
some  may  find  a  reference  to  the  proper  method  not  altoge- 
ther unprofitable  ;  and  I  therefore  shall  not  pass  it  over  as  a 
subject  worthless  of  note. 

The  barrels  should,  in  the  first  instance,  be  washed  with 
cold  water;  as  the  foulness  occasioned  by  the  powder  is 
more  readily  removed  by  cold  than  by  hot  water.  If  hot 
water  be  used  when  the  gun  is  extremely  dirty,  the  heat  is 
likely  to  make  the  dirt  adhere  to  the  barrel.  After  the  cold 
water  has  been  applied,  hot  should  be  used  in  a  similar  man- 
ner ;  and  either  tow  o*.  rag  will  do  equally  well  for  the  pur- 
pose. I  have  known  tow  objected  to,  on  account  of  the 
danger  that  may  occur  in  leaving  any  of  it  in  the  chamber : 


CLEANING  A  GUN.  177 

but,  like  many  other  u  may-he's,"  I  never  thought  this  one 
worthy  of  a  thought. 

If  it  should  be  considered  too  much  trouble  to  apply  both 
cold  and  hot  water,  then  hot  is  to  be  preferred ;  for,  although 
it  may  not  more  effectually  clean  the  barrels,  yet  for  efficiently 
drying  them,  which  is  of  the  greatest  importance,  it  will  be 
found  decidedly  preferable  to  cold  water. 

As  washing  only  will  not  remove  the  lead,  after  having 
used  the  cleaning  rod  well  with  the  cloth,  or  tow,  or  the 
spunge,  which  is  always  to  be  found  in  every  well  appointed 
gun-case,  place  the  wire  brush  on,  in  lieu  of  the  softer  ma- 
terial, and,  in  clean  hot  water,  draw  the  rod  up  and  down 
vigorously.  This,  in  a  very  few  seconds,  will  remove  every 
particle  of  the  cloying  lead.  There  is  no  fear  of  the  brush 
injuring  the  barrels.  Brass,  of  which  it  is,  or  ought  to  be, 
composed,  is  softer  than  iron ;  and,  therefore,  there  is  no 
possibility  of  injury  from  the  friction. 

When  the  barrels  are  clean  and  wiped  dry,  an  oiled  rag 
should  be  passed  down  them.  But  there  should  be  nothing 
like  a  large  quantity  of  oil  left  in  the  interior,  as  it  will  create 
foulness,  and,  probably,  be  forced  into  the  nipples,  upon 
loading,  and  occasion  a  miss-fire. 

On  the  outside  of  the  barrels,  oil  should  be  rubbed ;  and 
a  little  on  the  lock-plates,  cocks,  guard,  heel-plate,  and  even 
over  the  stock,  will  do  good,  and  make  the  piece  look  fresh 
and  "  in  condition." 

Some  guns  absolutely  require  cleaning  oftener  than  others ; 
and  those  of  the  smallest  gauge  will  be  found  to  lead  and 
become  foul  much  sooner  than  those  of  a  large  calibre.  To 
say,  therefore,  how  often  a  gun  should  be  cleaned,  is  impos- 
sible ;  but,  as  a  rule  from  which  there  should  be  no  deviation 
whatever,  the  gun  should  never  be  allowed  to  become  very 
foul.  It  has  been  said,  and  I  am  aware  of  no  objection  to 


178  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIP.RARV. 

the  allegation,  that  not  more  than  twenty  rounds  should  be 
fired  from  any  barrel  without  the  process  of  cleaning ;  and  I 
think  even  if  half  the  number  have  been  blazed  out  of  it, 
there  will  be  no  harm  in  driving  a  pint  or  two  of  water 
through  it,  previously  to  its  being  again  used. 

If  a  gun  has  been  put  aside  after  two  or  three  shots  have 
been  fired  from  it,  there  is  no  necessity  for  washing  out  the 
barrels ;  but  they  may  be  wiped  out  with  dry  tow  or  cloth. 
At  the  same  time  it  should  be  remembered,  that  if  there  be 
any  thing  like  an  accumulation  of  dirt,  it  will  be  forced  into 
the  breechings  by  this  dry  process ;  and,  therefore,  it  will 
only  do  when  the  gun  has  not  been  used  sufficiently  often  to 
render  it  leaded  or  foul. 

When  tow  is  used  it  must  be  applied  sparingly,  and  not  in 
a  large  thick  knot.  Should  a  wedge  of  dry  tow,  from  care- 
lessness, stick  fast  in  the  barrel,  do  not  begin  to  haul  and  tug 
to  no  effect :  but  pour  a  little  oil  into  the  barrel,  or  some  hot 
water  ;  and  either  will  speedily  free  the  rod. 

A  lock  never  requires  to  be  taken  to  pieces,  except  when, 
from  wear  or  accident,  it  has  become  damaged.  For  the 
purposes  of  cleaning,  the  works  can  be  got  at  without  dis- 
secting them ;  and  to  wipe  well  every  part  with  dry  cloths 
and  a  little  brush,  and  apply  good  sweet  oil  to  the  tumbler 
and  scear,  with  a  general  touch  over  the  springs,  is  all  that 
is  requisite. 

A  sportsman,  however, — more  particularly  if  he  be  going 
where  it  is  impossible  to  obtain  the  assistance  of  a  gunsmith, — 
should  not  only  be  supplied  with  extra  springs  to  his  locks, 
and  extra  nipples,  and  tools  whereby  he  can  make  the  neces- 
sary repairs;  but  he  should  be  capable  of  doing  the  job  him- 
self: and  then  he  need  neither  dread  an  accident  occurring, 
nor  be  dependent  on  others  for  remedying  it. 

I  need  not  enter  into  the  way  in  which  a  nipple  is  to  be 


CLEANING  A  GUN.  179 

replaced.  The  common  nipple-wrench,  which  is  in  every 
gun-case,  is  of  itself  sufficiently  explanatory.  But  the  re- 
placement of  springs  is  a  very  different  affair,  and  requires  a 
little  skill  and  management.  I  shall,  therefore,  enter  into 
the  details  with  some  degree  of  particularity. 

To  take  of  a  mainspring. 

1.  Put  the  scear  to  full-cock. 

2.  Cramp  the  mainspring. 

(I  have  remarked,  that  a  sportsman  should  be  supplied 
with  tools  necessary  for  the  repairs  of  his  locks;  and  a 
spring- cramp  is  an  indispensable,  although  not  a  usual,  ac- 
companiment to  the  case.) 

3.  Let  down  the  cock,  and  the  mainspring  will  drop  off. 

To  put  the  mainspring  on  again. 

1.  Heck  the  end  of  the  mainspring  on  the  swivel. 

2.  Move  it  up,  and  into  its  position  on  the  lock-plate. 

3.  Unscrew  the  cramp,  and  the  mainspring  will  be  re- 
placed for  action, 

To  take  to  pieces  the  small  works  of  a  lock. 

1.  (Having  taken  off  the  mainspring,)  unscrew  and  take 
oifthe  scear.  This  must  be  done  by  half-cocking,  and  then 
pressing  the  fore-part  of  the  lock  against  your  breast,  by 
putting  the  ball  of  the  thumb  against  the  back  part  of  the 
cock;  and,  with  this,  pushing  the  cock  forward,  while  you 
squeeze  together  the  scear  and  scear-spring,  with  the  fore- 
finger and  thumb,  for  the  facility  of  taking  out  the  scear- 

screw. 

16* 


180 

2.  Undo  the  two  screws,  and  take  off  the  bridle. 

3.  Unscrew  and  take  out  the  scear-spring. 

4.  Unscrew  and  take  off  the  cock ;  which  will  come  from 
the  tumbler,  by  being  gently  tapped  inwards  with  the  handle 
of  your  turnscrew. 

5.  Take  out  the  tumbler. 


To  put  them  together. 

1.  Put  in  the  tumbler  and  screw  on  the  cock. 

2.  Screw  on  the  scear-spring. 

3.  Set  on  the  bridle  with  the  two  upper  screws. 

4.  Put  in  the  scear;  to  clear  a  passage  for  the  screw  of 
which,  you  must  observe  the  same  pressure  of  the  fore-finger 
and  thumb  on  the  scear  and  scear-spring,  and  the  pushing 
of  the  cock  forward,  as  before  directed  for  taking  off  the 
scear. 

The  reason  for  this  pressure  being  required  to  put  in  the 
scear,  is,  to  get  the  hole  in  the  scear  opposite  the  hole  in  the 
bridle,  so  as  to  admit  the  scear-screw  to  pass  freely.  That 
which  most  frequently  puzzles  people,  is,  that  they  neglect 
to  keep  pressing  the  cock  forward ;  and  by  that  means  the 
scear  is  constantly  slipping  out  of  the  tumbler,  and  they  are 
plagued  to  get  the  holes  in  a  line ;  to  which  they  would  im- 
mediately be  brought  by  the  pressing  forwards  of  the  cock, 
and  the  pressing  inwards  of  the  scear. 

Having  done  this,  let  down  the  cock,  to  put  on  the  main- 
spring, as  before  directed ;  and  your  lock  will  have  every 
thing  in  its  place. 

It  is  to  be  observed,  that  except  the  pressure  required  to 
put  in  the  scear,  which  is  the  only  part  in  the  remotest  de- 
gree difficult,  there  should  be  no  force  whatever  used  with 
the  works  of  a  lock. 


CLEANING  A  GUN.  181 

In  order  to  be  complete  in  the  instructions  of  the  treatment 
of  the  lock,  both  in  taken  it  to  pieces  and  putting  it  together 
again,  I  shall  refer  to  the  flint  as  well  as  to  the  detonating 
lock. 

To  take  off  the  hammer. 

1.  Shut  down  the  hammer. 

2.  Keep  gradually  cramping  the  spring,  till  by  shaking  the 
lock  in  your  hand  you  can  just  hear  the  hammer  rattle  from 
being  loose. 

3.  Take  out  the  screw  from  behind,  and  the  hammer  will 
fall  out. 

To  put  the  hammer  on. 

1.  Put  the  hammer  in  its  place  again. 

2.  Turn  in  the  screw. 

3.  Set  the  spring  at  liberty. 

To  take  the  hammer-spring  out,  you  must  first  take  away 
tue  hammer ;  ajid  also  the  mainspring,  to  get  at  the  screw 
behind.  The  hammer-spring  must  be  then  confined  till 
taken  out,  and  put  on.  again  to  receive  the  hammer. 

I  think  now  that  all  has  been  entered  fully  into,  concern- 
ing the  cleaning  of  the  gun,  from  the  heel-plate  to  the  nose; 
and,  as  a  finis  to  my  remarks  on  this  head,  I  shall  merely 
say  that  no  sportsman  can  be  too  particular  in  keeping  his 
guns,  or  having  them  kept,  as  free  from  foulness  as  possible. 
Many  shocking  accidents  have  occurred,  entirely  through 
neglecting  the  state  and  condition  of  a  gun.  Rust  eats  into 
and  destroys  the  iron ;  lead  offers  a  resistance  to  the  explo- 
sion ;  and  dirt,  added  to  the  foregoing  injury,  causes  miss- 
fire,  recoil,  and  not  unfrequently  the  blowing  back  of  the 


182  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

cock  and  forcing  the  nipple  out,  greatly  to  the  danger  of  the 
eyes  and  face. 

In  writing  upon  so  many  subjects  comprised  in  this  work, 
I  must  be  excused  if  I  "  hark  back"  occasionally.  When 
speaking  of  nipples,  I  recommend  those  with  a  large  vent 
rather  than  a  small  and  contracted  one,  as  the  latter  were 
very  likely  to  become  choked :  but  I  do  not  mean,  by  this, 
the  retention  of  nipples  that  have  worn  large.  On  the  con. 
trary,  there  is  much  danger  in  using  them,  when  this  is  the 
case;  and  the  sooner  they  are  discarded,  the  sooner  a  very 
great  likelihood  of  blowing  them  from  the  breech  will  be 
obviated.  At  the  same  time,  I  recommend  a  wide  nipple, 
and  a  strong  mainspring  for  the  cock,  in  preference  to  the 
reverse. 

The  common  shot-belt  has,  in  a  great  measure,  been 
superseded  by  the  pouch.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
latter  invention  greatly  facilitates  the  loading  of  your  gun : 
although  it  never  should  be  used,  if  holding  three  pounds  of 
shot,  without  a  belt  to  sling  it  across  the  shoulders ;  as  it  is 
too  heavy  to  knock  about  in  a  pocket  of  your  shooting  jacket. 
Should  you  use  a  small  pouch,  holding  not  more  than  one 
pound,  or  one  pound  and  a  half,  the  belt  may  be  advan- 
tageously dispensed  with ;  as  it  rather  impedes  the  use  of  the 
pouch. 

If  you  prefer  the  old  fashioned  belt,  I  think  round  the  loins, 
just  above  the. hips,  a  better  place  for  it  than  across  the  left 
shoulder.  The  top,  or,  I  shall  call  it,  "charger,"  should  be 
placed  on  the  left  side;  and  it  ought  to  fit  the  muzzle  of  your 
gun  to  a  nicety. 

Several  patents  have  been  obtained,  with,  I  fear,  any  thing 
but  remunerating  returns,  for  powder  flasks  of  saperlatively 
safe  qualities.  Among  those  who  have  floated  on  the  stream 


NIPPLE   PROBE.  183 

of  patronage,  are  the  flasks  constructed  by  the  late  Mr.  Egg 
and  Mr.  Sykes.  Those  of  the  latter  are  in  much  more  gene- 
ral use  than  the  former;  and,  perhaps,  are  indebted  for  their 
popularity  to  the  moderate  price  charged  for  them.  Nothing 
can  be  more  simple  than  the  arrangement  of  this  flask.  And 
as  the  great  desideratum  of  detaching  the  powder  in  the  top  of 
the  flask  from  the  body  is  effected  by  it  safely,  conveniently, 
and  securely,  I  cannot  do  better  than  recommend  it  for  ser- 
vice. 

Upon  pushing  back  the  spring,  to  charge  the  top,  it  should 
be  allowed  to  fall  back  again  with  a  somewhat  gentle  action  ; 
and  not  with  a  sudden  snap,  for  I  have  known  the  spring  to 
fly  from  the  jar;  and  you  can  obtain  a  more  certain  quantity 
at  the  first  attempt,  and  thus  save  unnecessary  trouble  and 
loss  of  time  in  loading. 

Although  all  communication  between  the  charger  and  the 
body  of  the  flask  is  cut  off,  yet  such  extraordinary  accidents 
occur,  for  which  there  is  scarcely  any  possibility  of  account- 
ing, that  no  preventive  should  be  lost  sight  of.  I  shall  there- 
fore suggest  the  policy  of  never  holding  the  flask  in  your 
hand,  when  firing  off  your  gun.  This  may  take  place,  when, 
after  having  fired  off  one  barrel,fresh  game  should  be  sprung 
while  in  the  act  of  reloading  it.  In  this  case,  either  pocket 
your  flask,  or  throw  it  on  the  ground  previously  to  taking 
your  level :  and  no  danger  can  arise  from  the  chance  of  its 
explosion. 

There  are  many  trifling  things  which,  from  their  very  insig- 
nificance, are  lost  sight  of  until  their  assistance  is  required,  and 
then  their  value  and  utility  are  understood  ;  more  especially 
if  they  cannot  be  obtained  when  wanted.  A  nipple  probe 
may  be  classed  among  these  things  of  little  note ;  and  yet 
how  frequently  is  its  service  of  the  most  essential  kind  !  A 
common  pin  will,  and  does  often,  perform  the  office  of  a  more 


184  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

legitimate  instrument :  but  gentlemen  are  not  in  the  habit  of 
carrying  pin-cushions ;  and  one  or  two  pins  stuck  in  the  col- 
lar or  the  cuff'  of  the  jacket,  are  easily  lost.  It  is  therefore 
better  to  have  a  piece  of  copper  wire,  filed  to  a  point,  and 
kept  constantly  in  the  waistcoat  pocket  which  is  not  used  for 
the  caps ;  for  a  shallow  pocket  in  your  waistcoat  lined  with 
leather,  beats  all  the  cap-chargers  that  ever  were  invented,  or 
ever  will  be. 


ox  SHOOTING.  185 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


ON    SHOOTING. 

HAVING  entered  into  every  essential  particular  concerning 
the  choice  and  treatment  of  the  gun,  I  shall  now  proceed  to 
give  a  few  suggestions  relative  to  its  use. 

Ignorance  of  the  proper  method  of  loading,  carrying,  and 
holding  a  gun,  and  the  culpable  negligence  when  the  know- 
ledge is  not  wanting,  have  been,  and  are,  the  great  causes  of 
the  lamentable  accidents  recorded  in  the  annals  of  sporting. 
Misfortunes  will  occasionally  occur  without  the  remotest 
blame  being  attached  to  any  body  :  but  rare  indeed  will  they 
be,  if  proper  and  sportsmanlike  precautions  are  taken  to  pre- 
vent them. 

The  first  lesson  to  be  impressed  upon  the  mind  of  the  no- 
vice is,  that  nothing  can  be  more  provocative  of  ridicule, 
than  a  cockney,  blundering  manner  of  managing  his  gun. 
Carelessness  is  never  displayed  by  a  genuine  sportsman ;  and 
there  is  more  danger  in  accompanying  a  stupid,  reckless  fel- 
low, once  in  the  field,  (and  more  particularly  in  covert,)  than, 
in  joining  a  thorough  sportsman  ten  thousand  times.  In 
truth,  with  the  latter  there  is  no  risk  whatever ;  while,  with 
the  former,  you  are  not  for  one  moment  in  safety. 

I  shall  pursue  my  step  by  step  principle,  and  begin  my 
suggestions  with  the  loading  of  the  gun.  It  is  needless  to 
repeat,  that  the  gun  is  not  to  be  held  too  perpendicularly ; 


186 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 


that  the  ramrod  is  to  be  pressed,  and  not  jerked  down  ;  that 
the  caps  are  to  be  put  on  last ;  and  that,  after  having  fired 
off  one  barrel,  you  should  be  sure  to  place  the  other  on  half- 
cock  previously  to  reloading.  Your  hand  and  wrist,  although 
they  must  be  over  the  charge,  need  never  be  so  with  the  gun 
on  full-cock ;  and  there  is  scarcely  any  possibility  of  danger 
to  your  hand  when  the  gun  is  not  so.  I  have  said  half-cock, 
in  preference  to  letting  the  striker  down  upon  the  nipple  ;  be- 
cause a  gun  slipped  from  my  hand,  upon  one  occasion,  with 
the  cock  upon  the  cap,  and  it  exploded,  from  a  large  flint 
catching.  It  is  possible  that  the  cap  might  have  met  with 
the  same  result,  from  the  direct  blow  of  the  stone  ;  but  it  is 
by  no  means  so  probable. 

In  carrying  your  gun,  never  let  it  be  in  such  a  position  that 
any  injury  can  accrue  to  any  body  or  any  thing,  by  an  acci- 
dental explosion.  No  matter  in  what  state  your  cocks  be  in, 
either  down,  half-cock,  or  full ;  let  your  barrels  be  either  so 
elevated,  depressed,  or  turned  aside,  that  no  accident  can 
arise,  if  the  charges  in  both  were  to  explode  accidentally. 
Carrying  your  gun  with  the  muzzle  down,  is  objectionable, 
from  the  likelihood  of  the  shot  working  the  wadding  loose, 
and  thus  cause  you  to  lose  it  unconsciously.  The  great  ob- 
ject, however,  is  so  to  carry  it  that  no  danger  can  arise,  and 
that  the  gun  may  feel  easy  and  ready  for  service.  Over  the 
left  arm,  with  the  right  hand  upon  the  "  grip,"  is  as  good  a 
method  as  any  :  but  there  is  no  fixed  rule  for  this. 

In  going  through  a  fence,  jumping  over  a  wide  ditch, 
climbing  over  rails  and  gates,  &c.  the  gun  is  invariably  to  be. 
taken  off  the  full-cock.  Whether  you  are  shooting  by  your- 
self only,  or  in  company,  this  rule  should  never,  upon  any 
account,  be  deviated  from.  It  may  happen  that  the  barrier 
about  to  be  crossed  is  so  easy  that  there  seems  to  be  no  ap- 
parent necessity  for  this  precaution.  At  the  same  time,  it 


ON  SHOOTING.  187 

should  be  remembered,  that  a  foot  may  slip,  the  hand  may 
suddenly  lose  its  hold,  and  many  other  such  unexpected  ac- 
cidents may  take  place ;  causing  danger  in  that  which  other- 
wise would  be  secure  and  safe.  As  a  preventive,  therefore, 
let  it  be  a  rule,  and  habit  will  quickly  render  it  an  unexcep- 
tionable one,  always  to  let  down  the  striker  to  half-cock, 
when  a  fence  of  any  Idnd  is  to  be  crossed  ;  and  be  mindful,  in 
taking  it  off'  the  full-cock,  to  hold  the  gun  upright,  or  at  such 
an  angle  that,  should  the  cock  slip  from  the  ball  of  the  thumb, 
and  an  explosion  take  place,  the  charge  may  effect  no  harm. 
I  have  known  a  bramble  catch  the  cock,  while  getting 
through  a  hedge,  and  from  the  half  to  pull  it  on  to  the  full 
cock.  Care  should  therefore  be  taken  to  keep  the  gun  in 
such  a  position,  notwithstanding  the  precaution  taken,  of 
placing  the  cock  as  safely  as  possible,  that,  in  the  event  of  a 
second  twig  or  bramble  answering  the  purpose  of  your  finger 
upon  the  trigger,  no  injury  can  be  occasioned  to  yourself, 
your  friends,  your  servant,  or  your  dogs. 

I  never,  thank  Heaven  !  witnessed  any  appalling  accident 
in  the  field  ;  but  while  shooting  in  Pembrokeshire,  some  few 
years  since,  I  heard  the  report  of  a  gun,  when  an  aged  father 
was  killed  by  the  unhappy  carelessness  of  his  son,  in  cross- 
ing a  small  hedge. 

I  shall  not  advert  to  any  more  such  horrors  as  a  warning  to 
the  beginner  ;  for  there  must  be  many  of  them  in  his  memory,  if 
he  ever  glances  at  the  heading  of  paragraphs  in  the  newspa- 
pers, couched  in  this  form, »"  Fatal  accident""  if  Coroners  in- 
quest,*' &c.  But  as  carelessness  betokens  a  degree  of  ignorance 
scarcely  excusable  in  the  most  genuine  cockney,  who  seeks 
the  destruction  of  'ares  on  £  Jlmpstead'  Eatfi,  I  beg  of  the 
young  sportsman  to  observe  the  proper  rules,  or  at  once  re- 
linquish all  claim  to  the  title,  and  cease  to  make  himself  an 
object  of  ridicule  to  his  acquaintances,  and  one  of  terror  to 
17 


188  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

those  who  may  have  the  misfortune  to  be  in  his  society  in  the 
field. 

Some  men  are  of  so  nervous  and  excitable  a  temperament, 
that  very  great  practice  is  necessary  to  render  them  suffi- 
ciently self-possessed  to  become  "  good  shots."  One  who  is 
naturally  cool  and  collected  concerning  general  matters,  will 
become  a  first-rate  shot,  long  before  another  of  an  opposite 
nature  can  learn  to  get  a  level  as  a  preliminary  to  pulling  the 
trigger.  Ardent  and  excitable  men  are  too  quick  in  their  ru- 
diments of  shooting,  as  they  are,  for  the  most  pad,  with  other 
mat'ers.  The  difficulties  are  enhanced  by  the  fiery  material 
of  which  such  men  are  constructed.  My  opinion,  however, 
is,  that  all  men,  who  are  not  defective  in  vision,  may  be 
taught  to  shoot  well ;  although  it  may  take  a  longer  period 
with  some,  and  more  practice,  than  with  others. 

I  shall  not  carry  my  suggestions  on  the  delightful  accom- 
plishment of  shooting  quite  so  far  back  as  the  burning  pow- 
der at  a  mark,  getting  used  to  the  smart  stroke  of  the  cock 
upon  the  cap  with  unflinching  eyes,  and  such-like  very  early 
and  infantine  lessons.  Previously  to  an  attempt  being  made 
to  bring  birds  down  while  on  the  wing,  the  tyro  will  naturally 
try  a  few  easier  marks,  and  burn  some  ounces  of  powder,  if 
he  pleases,  at  bits  of  paper,  card,  and  small  birds  perched  on 
twigs  with  misplaced  confidence. 

I  will  suppose  it  to  be  the  first  1st  of  September  with  my 
aspiring  sportsman;  that  he  knows  how  to  load,  carry,  and 
hold  his  gun  ;  and  that  he  is  also  aware  of  the  necessity  of 
getting  a  level  previously  to  pulling  his  trigger. 

The  probability  is  that,  in  practising  at  marks  and  too  con- 
fiding little  tits,  the  novice  has  confined  one  eye,  and  distorted 
his  visage  into  many  unbecoming  grimaces,  while  in  the  act 
of  squaring  at  the  steady  object.  This  is  totally  unnecessary. 
An  aim  as  correct  may  be  obtained  with  both  the  eyes  open, 


ON  SHOOTING.  189 

and,  indeed,  better ,  than  if  one  be  closed.  At  first  this  may 
not  seem  true :  but  I  have  only  to  refer  to  the  playing  at  bil- 
liards, where  frequently  a  much  nicer  aim  is  requisite  for  the 
success  of  a  stroke  than  for  hitting  a  bird  on  the  wing ;  and 
an  eye  is  never  closed  when  the  most  beautiful  stroke  is  to 
be  made.  The  position  of  the  cue  and  the  gun  are  different, 
when  the  respective  results  are  about  to  "come  of:"  but  still 
it  is  the  eye  that  commands  the  movement  of  the  hand  ;  and 
therefore  it  is  quite  clear  that  there  is  no  need  for  a  more 
accurate  direction  of  the  sight  in  one  instance  than  in  the 
other. 

Both  eyes  should  be  kept  open,  for  obtaining  the  aim  ;  and 
if  the  young  sportsman  do  not  commence  in  this  way,  an 
additional  difficulty  will  be  found  in  learning  to  shoot  in  the 
proper  mode  afterwards. 

And  now  I  shall  imagine  that  these  lessons  have  been 
learned,  as  far  as  the  theory  is  concerned;  and  that  the 
novice  is  now  approaching  a  covey  of  partridges,  with  a 
brace  of  good  pointers  indicating  their  "  whereabouts."  His 
heart  thumps  against  his  breast :  his  nerves  thrill  and  trem- 
ble ;  and  his  eyes  seem  ready  to  spring  from  their  sockets. 
At  every  stride  towards  the  stanch  Ponto,  backing,  without 
jealousy,  the  point  of  the  never-deceiving  Don,  he  feels  even 
his  brain  reel  with  excitement ;  and  a  sort  of  misty  film 
weaves  itself  across  his  bloodshot  eyeballs.  At  length  the 
covey — ten  brace  of  full-grown  birds — whir-r-rfrom  his  very 
feet.  Bang,  bang!  roars  his  polished  and  scratchless  piece, 
before,  or  as  soon  as  it  reaches  his  shoulder;  and,  when  the 
wind  clears  away  the  smoke,  he  sees  the  birds  skimming 
away,  as  scatheless  as  if  he  had  pressed  the  stick  of  his  juve- 
nile pop-gun  at  them. 

My  dear  tyro,  believe  me,  this  sort  of  proceeding  is  neither 
conducive  to  your  own  gratification,  nor  to  that  of  your  com- 
panions, or  your  dogs.  I  cannot  here  deny  myself  the  plea- 


190  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

sure  of  relating  a  fact  concerning  the  extreme  sagacity  of  an 
old  pointer  belonging  to  a  personal  friend  of  my  own.  After 
three  consecutive  misses,  he  would  fix  his  tail  between  his 
hind  legs,  and  run  home  as  fast  as  he  could  go,  despite  of 
any  attempt  by  halloo,  cheer,  or  rate,  to  stop  him.  Good  as 
he  was,  I  fear  that  with  a  beginner,  he  would  frequently  have 
to  seek  "  the  old  house  at  home." 

To  proceed  with  my  instructions,  it  is  evident  that,  unless 
a  level  be  obtained,  it  is  useless  to  pull  the  trigger ;  as,  un- 
less by  accident,  the  object  aimed  at  cannot  be  hit.  Now, 
the  getting  a  level  must  depend  on  the  way  in  which  the 
bird,  hare,  or  rabbit,  flies  or  runs,  and  the  distance  at  which 
they  first  present  themselves.  If  a  bird  springs  near  to  you, 
and  skims  along  the  ground,  give  it  time,  and  aim  over  the 
rump;  for  if  missed,  it  will  be  because  your  shot  cut  under 
the  bird.  The  greatest  number  of  shots  that  are  missed  are 
the  consequence  of  shooting  much  too  low  ;  very  few,  in  com- 
parison, being  occasioned  by  levelling  over.  When  a  bird 
flies  across  you,  your  aim  must  always  be  before  it;  although 
the  space  given  must  correspond  with  the  distance  that  the 
level  is  obtained  at ;  and  the  knowledge  of  that  can  only  be 
gained  by  experience.  The  nearer  the  object,  the  less  anti- 
cipatory space  is  to  be  allowed ;  and,  the  farther  from  it,  the 
more  must  be  granted.  If  I  could  reduce  to  a  certainty  the 
distances  at  which  game  will  spring,  I  could  present  a  scale 
of  undeviating  distances  for  the  level  being  advanced.  As 
that,  however,  is  impossible,  I  can  only  give  general  direc- 
tions, which  practice  must  improve.  Occasionally,  a  couple 
of  inches  will  be  quite  sufficient,  to  shoot  before  the  head  of 
your  game  ;  at  other  times  eight  inches,  or  even  a  foot,  will 
not  be  too  much.  At  hares  and  rabbits  you  should  always 
shoot  well  forward ;  their  head  and  ears  being  the  mark  for 
your  aim.  It  is  slovenly  to  break  the  hind  leg  of  either  one 


ON  SHOOTING.  191 

or  the  other,  and  tends  to  mischief  with  young  dogs ;  as  the 
chase  which  is  sure  to  follow,  is  any  thing  but  conducive  to 
their  steadiness.  To  a  bird  rising,  the  same  principle  of 
keeping  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  full  high  will  apply ;  and 
taking  into  consideration  the  speed  at  which  a  bird  flies,  five 
or  six  inches  will  not  be  too  much,  at  a  distance  of  thirty-five 
or  forty  yards. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  difference  between  shooting  too 
quickly,  and  being  one  of  those  slow,  spiritless  shots,  who 
pick  their  birds  out  when  easy,  boast  of  their  seldom  missing, 
but  never  tail  their  game  in  style.  With  young  sportsmen, 
the  main  cause  of  their  missing  is  not  taking  sufficient  time  to 
their  level ;  yet,  to  run  into  the  other  extreme,  and  dandle  a 
gun  at  a  bird  during  a  time  sufficient  to  boil  an  egg  lightly, 
is  far  from  being  proper.  I  dislike  a  slow,  poking  shot,  who 
never  burns  powder  except  at  so  easy  a  range  that  it  is  barely 
possible  to  miss  the  object ;  and  then  talks  largely  about 
never  missing,  and  offers  catchpenny  bets  about  u  shooting 
with  any  body  and  every  body."  The  way  to  meet  these 
braggarts  is  to  say,  "  Let  every  bird  rising  within  a  range  of 
forty  yards,  not  shot  at,  be  counted  a  miss  ;"  and  you  will  find 
their  subsequent  boasting  palpably  diluted.  It  would  seem 
that  some  men  consider  missing  a  bird  a  crime,  of  which  a 
dread  account  must  be  rendered.  They  shoot  only  when  the 
game  is  very  near ;  and  never  think  of  attempting  a  wide 
shot.  Such  sportsmen  are  not  suited  to  these  times,  when  in 
each  succeeding  season  birds  appear  to  become  wilder  and 
more  difficult  of  approach,  for  causes  which  will  afterwards 
appear.  There  was  a  time  when  these  slow  and  safe  gentle- 
men could  indulge  their  fancy,  and  fill  their  game  bag  with- 
out great  difficulty :  but  these  days  are  not  of  the  present. 
A  very  different  description  of  shooting  is  now  requisite  for 
the  attainment  of  sport. 

17* 


192  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

In  speaking  against  too  rapid  firing,  and  also  against  a 
slow,  poking  system,  I  wish  it  to  be  understood  that  I  am  no 
admirer  of  those  random  sportsmen  who  blaze  away  at  every 
feather  within  sight,  and  make  more  noise  than  their  effects 
warrant.  If  a  bird  rise  so  far  off  that  there  is  no  chance  of 
bringing  it  down,  firing  a  barrel  at  it  is  a  piece  of  stupid 
wantonness.  But  there  is  a  vast  difference  between  that,  and 
never  pulling  trigger  when  the  distance  happens  to  be  a  long 
one.  Greater  pleasure  is  experienced,  in  bringing  down  a 
single  bird  at  a  wide  range,  than  in  a  dozen  easy  shots,  the 
missing  any  one  of  which  might  have  annoyed  the  sports- 
man. 

It  is  by  no  means  evidence  of  a  good  shot,  that  a  bird,  or  a 
succession  of  birds,  are  killed  by  his  gun:  neither  is  it  proof 
that  a  man  is  a  bad  shot,  because  he  fails  to  stop  his  birds 
when  there  was  a  fair  opportunity  of  so  doing.  Whether  a 
man  will  be  capable  of  shooting  well,  for  the  time,  or  the  re- 
verse, will  depend  much  on  the  state  of  his  health,  the  steadi- 
ness or  derangement  of  his  nerves,  and  such-like  matters. 
But,  setting  aside  the  temporary  condition  of  his  body,  I  pre- 
fer a  man  who  makes  frequent  misses,  and  occasionally  brings 
down  his  bird  handsomely,  to  one  who  never  does  the  latter, 
and  invariably  fumbles  in  his  work. 

The  meaning  of  "  killing  a  bird  handsomely  "  may  be  thus 
illustrated:  Bring  the  gun  quickly  to  the  shoulder ;  fix  the  eyes 
on  the  object ;  and  pull  the  trigger  the  instant  the  level  is  ob- 
tained. A  first  sight  is  often  like  a  first  thought,  much  better 
then  a  second  one  :  indeed,  in  shooting,  a  first  sight  is  almost 
invariably  so.  I  cannot,  however,  impress  it  too  strongly  on 
the  memories  of  my  young  readers,  that  a  level  must  be  ob- 
tained previously  to  pulling  the  trigger.  No  step  of  improve- 
ment can  be  made  until  a  sufficient  check  has  been  gained 
over  the  impulse  to  fire  before  the  aim  is  got.  Some  are  con- 


ON  SHOOTING.  193 

stitutionally  enabled  to  acquire  this  check  much  more  readily 
than  others:  but  I  am  quite  convinced  that  there  is  no  man, 
with  health  and  good  vision,  however  excitable  his  material, 
be  it  even  as  inflammable  as  gunpowder  itself,  but  may  gain 
the  indispensable  ascendency  over  his  natural  inclination  to 
fire  in  anticipation  of  the  proper  period. 

I  know  not  whether  I  have  made  myself  clearly  understood 
in  these  observations  ;  for  that  which  may  appear  easy  and 
definite  to  me,  may  not  prove  so  to  my  inexperienced  readers. 
But,  in  brief,  I  mean  this :  Before  you  pull  trigger,  get  a 
level ;  and  let  it  be  done  quickly :  but  do  not  make  a  ridicu- 
lous random  shot ;  and  rather  bear  with  countless  misses  at 
first,  than  sink  into  a  slow,  poking,  and  timid  shot. 

When  we  hear  of  men  killing  their  two  dozen  consecutive 
birds  in  the  field,  in  the  present  day,  when  there  cannot  be  a 
question  concerning  the  increased  shyness  of  game ;  it  would 
be  worth  while  to  discover  how  many  shots  they  refused,  at 
which  a  fair  sportsman  would  have  tried  his  skill.  The 
fancy  trap-shot  picks  the  few  that  suits  him :  but  the  latter 
takes  all  that  spring  within  a  fair  killing  distance. 

I  am  very  desirous  of  making  clear  the  distinction  between 
a  snap-shot,  and  the  quick  and  dashing  one  that  I  wish  my 
pupil  to  become.  I  have  seen  some  men  knock  down  their 
birds  the  moment  they  top  the  stubble ;  and,  heedless  of  the 
nearness,  they  thus  cut  their  game  into  ribands.  This  is 
called  "  snap-shooting ;"  a  system  I  do  not  admire  or  re- 
commend. If  you  make  a  practice  of  pulling  your  trigger 
immediately  the  game  presents  itself  to  view,  you  will  not  be 
able  to  give  sufficient  time  to  a  close  shot ;  and  I  prefer  see- 
ing a  bird  fly  away,  to  its  being  mangled.  There  is  a  want 
of  coolness  and  style  in  "  snap-shooting,"  too,  which  makes 
a  sportsman,  however  proficient  in  the  knack,  look  many 
inches  from  the  crease  of  perfection  in  his  art. 


194  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

If  a  bird  rise  at  a  long  distance, — say  fifty  yards, — a  snap- 
shot will  suit  admirably.  The  bird  must  be  hit  directly  it  is 
on  the  wing,  or  the  attempt  may  as  well  not  be  made.  To 
say,  therefore,  that  a  snap-shot  is  never  to  be  made,  would 
be  wide  of  my  meaning ;  and,  to  be  able  to  make  one,  is  a 
great  accomplishment.  But  what  I  wish  to  inculcate  is  the 
rule ;  not  the  exception.  In  these  long  ranges,  a  slow  shot 
can  do  nothing.  Very  likely,  he  will  bring  his  gun  to  his 
shoulder,  shut  his  left  eye,  and  get  his  muzzle  on  a  level  with 
the  bird :  but,  by  the  time  that  he  has  done  so,  he  discovers 
that  the  bird  is  too  far  off,  and  that  it  is  useless  to  pull  the 
trigger.  I  have  frequently  seen  this  farce  performed  by  men 
who  would  back  themselves  to  kill  their  twenty  consecutive 
shots.  No  wonder,  when  they  would  permit  twice  as  many, 
and  perhaps  more,  to  go,  without  firing  a  single  barrel  at 
them  ;  three-fourths  of  which  shots  a  legitimate  sportsman 
would  have  taken,  as  a  matter  of  course. 

The  great  difference  between  a  quick  shot  and  a  snap  shot 
is,  that  the  former  discriminates  between  long  and  near  shots; 
taking  his  level  and  firing  in  accordance  with  the  distance  at 
which  the  game  springs :  while  the  latter  exercises  no  such 
discrimination.  Far  or  near,  the  instant  the  bird  is  seen,  or 
the  rabbit  pops  his  ears  out  of  the  gorse,  the  snap-shooter 
fires :  and  if  he  were  to  hesitate  for  a  moment,  when  his  gun 
is  at  his  shoulder,  he  would  miss. 

I  have  now  treated  on  the  three  different  styles  of  shoot- 
ing: quick  shooting,  slow  shooting,  and  snap  shooting.  The 
advantages  and  disadvantages  of  the  respective  systems,  I 
have  endeavoured  to  show  ;  and  it  is  almost  superfluous  to 
say,  that  it  is  the  quick  and  dashing  shot  that  I  recommend 
the  novice  to  acquire.  At  the  same  time,  quickness  is  the 
<>nd,  and  not  the  beginning.  The  first  lesson  for  him  to  learn 
is,  to  be  steady  and  cool,  both  on  approaching  and  springing 


ON  SHOOTING.  195 

his  game,  and  to  get  a  level  before  pulling  trigger.  In  miss- 
ing fair  shots,  the  fault  lies  generally  in  not  giving  time 
enough  ;  although  the  fairest  may  occasionally  be  missed  by 
the  most  accomplished  sportsman.  To  become  irritated, 
therefore,  at  an  accidental  occurrence  of  this  kind,  is  to  pro- 
voke perhaps  more  of  such  results ;  and  as  a  concluding  ad- 
vice to  the  young  beginner,  in  this  chapter,  I  say,  "  Preserve 
your  temper." 


If6 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


SHOOTING    CONTINUED. 

I  HAVE  known  it  recommended  by  ancient  sportsmen,  to 
"  keep  your  gun  on  the  half-cock  until  the  game  be  flushed  ; 
for  it  then  to  be  cocked,  brought  to  the  shoulder,  the  aim  got, 
and  the  trigger  pulled."  This  might  have  done  when  birds 
could  be  brought  down  like  butterflies,  with  your  hat;  but 
such  a  dilatory  proceeding,  in  this  fast  age,  would  be  worse 
than  ridiculous.  With  such  a  method,  a  man  might  as  well 
burn  his  powder  at  the  moon. 

When  beating  for  game,  your  gun  should  invariably  be 
on  the  full-cock;  and  it  should  be  carried  so  as  to  be  brought 
to  your  shoulder  easily  and  readily :  for  very  frequently 
birds  will  rise,  and  hares  spring  from  their  forms,  without 
any  notice  being  given  by  your  dogs,  let  them  be  ever  so 
good.  At  the  same  time,  the  greatest  care  should  be  taken 
to  keep  the  muzzle  so  that  no  accident  can  happen  by  any 
possibility. 

I  have  previously  referred  to  distance,  and  the  space  to 
be  given  to  birds  crossing  or  going  away  from  you.  The 
reason  why  you  should  hold  your  gun  full  high  for  the  lat- 
ter is,  that  a  bird  will  take  a  very  hard  hit  in  the  rump, 
without  falling;  and  although  it  will  die,  yet  it  will  not  in 
time  for  you  to  add  the  head  to  your  number  in  the  bag. 
One  coming  towards  you  will  also  take  a  severe  blow  in  the 


ON  SIIOOTISG.  197 

body ;  because  the  shot  glances  off  the  feathers  as  they  are 
thus  presented;  and,  unless  a  pinion  in  one  of  the  wings  be 
broken,  the  escape  of  the  bird  will  frequently  astonish  ihe 
sportsman,  and  make  him  question  the  correctness  of  his 
aim,  however  perfect  it  may  have  been.  To  enable  you  to 
bring  down  a  bird  in  this  position,  with  any  thing  like  cer- 
tainty, it  should  be  close:  if  not  so,  you  may  have  no  cause 
to  blame  yourself.  A  bird  crossing,  or  immediately  above 
your  head,  presents  the  most  vulnerable  mark ;  as  both  his 
feathers,  and  the  position  of  his  body,  offer  a  favourable 
opportunity  for  the  shot  to  produce  the  desired  efleci. 
When  a  miss  takes  place  from  any  nervousness,  it  is  gene- 
rally owing  to  the  left  hand  dropping  as  the  trigger  is  pulled. 
To  remedy  this,  grasp  the  stock  tightly, /md  fire  full  high. 
After  a  few  successful  shots,  confidence  will  be  regained, 
and  you  will  shoot  well  and  handsomely. 

When  a  man  is  fagged  and  weary,  it  is  quite  impossible 
that  he  can  shoot  with  any  thing  like  precision.  He  should 
then  rest  and  refresh  himself.  Farther  toil,  in  this  state  of 
his  body  and  spirits,  will  only  prevent  his  enjoying  that  sport 
which  a  recruiting  pause  would  enable  him  to  have.  This 
suggestion  more  especially  applies  early  in  September; 
when  young  and  eager  sportsmen  arc  out  at  daybreak,  and 
plod  throughout  the  entire  day,  with  aching  limbs  and  sink- 
ing spirits,  in  the  belief  that  the  longer  the  day,  the  greater 
the  chances  of  returning  home  with  a  well-filled  bug.  This 
is  a  very  common  and  natural  error  which  beginners  are 
apt  to  fall  into:  but  they  may  believe,  without  the  unpleasant 
proof  which  experience  would  give  them,  that  a  long,  hot, 
thirsty  day  is  not  the  one  to  walk  through,  from  sunrise  io 
sunset;  and  that  such  labour  is  not  only  unnecessary,  but 
acts  as  a  damper  and  preventive  of  sport.  I  cannot  say 
the  number  of  hours  that  a  sportsman  should  walk ;  for  this 


198  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

must  depend  on  his  strength  of  body,  his  health  and  inclina- 
tion, the  weather,  the  sort  of  country  that  he  shoots  over, 
his  condition  for  work  or  want  of  it,  and  other  reasons  need- 
less to  be  recounted.  But  this  I  can  safely  say  to  one  and 
all, — Give  up,  for  a  time,  when  you  are  tired;  and  do  not 
begin  too  early  in  the  morning. 

When  you  are  shooting  in  company,  among  your  first  re- 
solutions should  be,  not,  from  any  temptation,  to  endanger 
the  safety  of  your  companion;  or  to  vex  and  annoy  him,  by 
jealous,  unfair,  and  greedy  monopolizing  of  shots.  Regard- 
ing the  first  part  of  the  caution,  there  is  nothing  more  un- 
sportsmanlike; and,  as  to  the  second,  there  is  nothing  more 
ungentlemanly  in  the  field. 

If  you  are  doubling  a  hedgerow,  in  the  society  of  a  friend, 
whatever  may  be  the  inducement,  never  fire  through  .the 
hedge.  You  may  feel  quite  certain,  at  the  moment  of  pull- 
ing the  trigger,  that  no  evil  result  can  happen;  as  you  are 
assured  that  your  companion  is  out  of  the  line  of  the  charge. 
Without  doubt,  this  has  been  the  conviction  of  many  who 
have  had  sad  proof  of  their  mistake.  Therefore,  on  no  ac- 
count whatever,  should  there  be  the  semblance  of  a  devia- 
tion from  this  resolve.  It  is  impossible  to  impress  this  too 
strongly  on  the  minds  of  young  sportsmen.  Let  them  trea- 
sure the  admonition  as  priceless.  Shooting  across  your 
companion,  striving  to  "  wipe  his  eye,"  and  taking  every 
shot  that  goes  as  fairly  for  him  as  for  yourself,  is  conduct 
essentially  the  opposite  to  that  of  a  gentlemanly  sportsman. 
It  is  certain  to  create  irritation:  that  feeling  may  spur  him 
to  retaliate ;  and  thus  unpleasantry  and  ill  feeling  will  be 
engendered  in  both,  greatly  to  the  detriment  of  sport.  To 
count  also  your  own  number  of  shots  against  his;  and  thus, 
by  comparing  one  with  the  other,  praise  yourself  at  the  ex- 
pense of  his  failures,  is  a  boyish  and  silly  proceeding.  If 


ON  SHOOTING.  199 

you  shoot  better  than  he  does,  he  cannot  fail  to  know  it; 
and,  should  you  shoot  worse,  he  will  evince  a  polite  forbear- 
an.ce,  by  disregarding  the  balance  of  skill  in  his  favour. 

All  birds  that  cross  belong  exclusively  to  that  person  to 
whose  side  they  bear;  and  there  should  be  an  understanding 
that  the  shots  be  taken  alternately,  when  as  fair  for  one  as 
for  the  other.  I  do  not  mean  that,  if  a  cov^  spring  on  the 
left,  the  shooter  on  the  right  is  not  to  fire ;  but  he  is  to  take 
the  bird  which  is  nearest  to  him  on  the  right.  In  the  event 
of  a  single  bird  rising,  and  crossing  in  the  same  manner,  he 
ought  not  to  pull  his  trigger  until  his  companion  has  tried 
both  his  barrels:  but  if  a  brace  rise  at  thef  same  m'oment,  in 
a  corresponding  form,  there  is  no  reason  for  showing  this 
generosity.  Take  the  one  nearest  to  your  side,  and  the  libe- 
rality proper  to  be  shown  will  be  accorded. 

In  attempting  a  double  shot,  the  gun  should  be  kept  to  the 
shoulder,  and  not  taken  from  it  after  the  first  barrel  is  fired. 
Time  is  thus  saved;  and  the  level  is  not  so  difficult  to  obtain, 
for  the  second  bird.  If  the  smoke  impedes  your  sight — which 
it  is  very  likely  jto  do  if  there  be  not  sufficient  wind  to  blow 
it  quickly  away — you  should  either  sloop  and  get  your  aim 
under  the  volume,  or  jump  on  one  side,  and  thus  manoeuvre 
with  the  difficulty.  The  same  hint  will  apply  generally  to 
obstacles  and  impediments  that  may  frequently  present  them 
selves  between  your  sight  and  the  object. 

I  know  of  no  reason  for  firing  one  barrel  in  particular 
before  the  other;  except  that  there  is  not  so  much  danger 
from  the  right  as  the  left,  in  the  event  of  big  wing  the  cock 
back.  As  a  matter  of  course  \he  first  barrel  is  more  used 
than  the  second.  Colonel  Hawker  says,  that  "  as  the  barrels 
of  double  guns  usually  shoot  a  little  inwards  at  long  distances, 
there  is  so  far  a  preferenc%irr  favour  of  the  right  barrel,  for 
an  object  crossing  to  the/e/2,  and  vice  versa,  that,  if  we  were 
18 


f 


200  THE  SI'ORTSMAIV'S  LIBRARY. 

beating  along  the  side  of  a  hedge,  it  would  be  best  to  keep 
the  barrel  next  to  it  in  a  state  of  preparation."  This  may  be 
all  very  true ;  but  the  majority  of  sportsmen  make  a  rule  of 
pulling  either  the  left  trigger  or  the  right  one  first;  and  I 
think  the  former  has  the  choice,  perhaps  from  its  being  nearer 
and  more  easy  to  the  finger.  At  any  rate,  1  always  pull 
this  one  first ;  and  so  do  by  far  the  greater  number  of  those 
I  have  shot  with. 

In  presenting  a  gun,  the  hand  has  a  much  more  steady 
hold,  and  there  is  not  so  much  risk  in  keeping  the  muzzle  too 
low  (a  very  great  cause,  if  not  the  principal  cause,  of  miss- 
ing birds,)  if  it  be  extended  along  the  stock  ;  but  it  cannot  be 
said  to  be  in  so  safe  a  position  as  when  near  the  guard,  in 
the  event  of  a  barrel  bursting.  Luckily,  however,  this  is  of 
very  rare  occurrence  now;  and  with  the  great  precautions 
taken  to  prove  guns  safe,  I  think  the  dread  of  such  an  occur- 
rence is  not  dissimilar  to  the  fear  of  an  earthquake.  It  may 
take  place,  but  it  is  extremely  unlikely. 

If  you  shoot  with  a  double  gun,  as  the  majority  of  sports- 
men do  in  the  age  we  live  in ;  "  upon  the  face  of  the  decla- 
ration," as  a  special  pleader  might  write,  perchance,  the 
object  is  to  get  as  many  double  shots  as  you  can  obtain. 
Now,  there  is  a  great  deal  of  management  to  be  displayed 
in  this,  which,  if  properly  attended  to,  will  ensure  the  desired 
result.  One  of  the  leading  preventives  to  getting  a  sight  at 
the  second  bird,  is  the  hanging  about  of  the  smoke  from  the 
explosion  of  the  first  barrel.  To  get  the  better  of  this  diffi- 
culty, you  should  endavour  to  flush  your  birds  across,  and 
not  so  as  to  drive  them  either  up  the  wind  or  down.  The 
latter  is  far  more  objectionable  than  ihe  former ;  as  the  smoke 
is  driven  with  them,  and  impedes  the  sight  more  effectually 
than  its  coming,  for  the  moment,  In  your  face.  You  should 
head  your  dog ;  (for  I  need  not  say  that  this  manoeuvring 


OX  SHOOTING.  201 

can  only  take  place  when  the  point  is  made,)  and  not  go  in 
a  direct  line  from  his  slern  to  the  game.  It  is  impossible 
to  drive  or  to  coax  birds  to  fly  exactly  as  you  require  them : 
but  this  is  the  plan  to  give  you  the  chances  wished  for. 

In  his  anxiety  to  get  double  shots,  however,  let  the  novice 
remember  that  his  attention  must  first  be  directed  to  making 
his^r^  shot  tell  in  the  number  of  the  effective.  I  have  seen 
many  so  eager  for  the  two  to  count,  that,  as  in  the  well- 
known  fable  of  the  dog  and  the  shadow,  both  have  been  lost. 
It  is  admirable  to  see  a  sportsman  bring  down  his  birds  right 
and  left  in  a  handsome  manner:  but  such  shooting  cannot  be 
arrived  at  suddenly ;  and  patience  will  ensure  the  accom- 
plishment of  the  task  far  more  quickly  than  too  early  and  fu- 
tile endeavours. 

Nothing  is  more  likely  to  drive  the  game  up  out  of  dis- 
tance, than  hallooing  to  your  dogs,  and  making  or  permitting 
a  noise  to  be  made  in  the  field.  Even  in  walking  through 
turnips,  potatoes,  stubble,  and  so  forth,  there  is  a  way  of  lift- 
ing the  feet,  to  prevent  a  superfluous  rustle,  which  a  sports- 
man in  1845  will  do  well  to  observe  ;  although,  take  away 
the  odd  decimals  from  the  centuries  marking  the  Christian 
era,  and  such  a  suggestion  would  have  been  laughed  at. 
Quietness,  however,  is  very  essential  to  getting  within  reach 
of  birds,  in  countries  of  the  general  description;  and  to  those 
only  am  I  referring.  We  all  know  that,  here  and  there,  spots 
are  to  be  found  where  game  is  so  plentiful,  that  there  is  little 
more  difficulty  in  finding,  approaching,  or  killing  it,  than  in 
the  wholesale  slaughter  of  the  fatted  poultry  in  a  farm-yard 
at  Christmas.  To  those  who  can  entertain  any  feeling  of 
pleasure  in  sporting  over  such  localities,  and  have  the  op- 
portunity, I  neither  envy  their  conceptions  of  what  shooting 
should  be,  nor  their  chances  of  gratifying  them. 

In  large  enclosures,  and  an  open  country,  birds  are  more 


202 

difficult,  after  having  been  disturbed  once  or  twice,  and  will 
fly  much  farther,  than  in  enclosed  boundaries,  with  high 
hedgerows  and  banks.  To  get  near  these  "  shy  skimmers," 
you  cannot  be  too  quiet  with  your  tongue  and  in  your  man- 
ner of  walking.  Should  one  of  your  dogs  require  a  great 
deal  of  rating,  let  him  be  taken  up  and  consigned  to  the  cus- 
tody of  your  servant.  There  is  no  greater  stopper  to  the  en- 
joyment of  a  day's  sport,  when  birds  are  wild,  or,  I  may  add, 
at  any  other  time,  than  a  headstrong,  badly  broke  undisci- 
plined dog,  that  minds  no  rate  but  one  given  in  the  tone  of 
thunder,  and  is  frequently  either  receiving  or  meriting  the 
lash. 

In  stormy  and  windy  weather,  it  is  expedient  to  begin 
your  day*s  sport  to  the  windward  side  of  your  beat ;  as  by 
this  management  you  will  not  only  keep  your  birds  on  the 
land  that  you  are  going  over,  but  they  will  not  be  likely  to 
fly  so  far,  against  the  wind,  or,  in  the  phraseology  of  a  sports- 
man, when  they  a  re  flying  up,  instead  of  sinking  it. 

Should  your  limits  be  confined,  do  not  continually  harass 
and  disturb  the  game,  by  following  it  day  by  day.  You  will 
be  able  to  bag  a  great  deal  more,  by  giving  it  rest,  than  by 
continually  scouring  every  nook  and  corner ;  for  no  kind  of 
game  will  ever  be  plentiful,  or  permit  an  approach  within 
killing  range,  if  their  haunts  are  for  ever  being  disturbed. 
To  a  young  and  eager  sportsman— and  I  glory  in  seeing  the 
fire  within  his  veins! — this  should  be  well  grafted  in  his 
memory  ;  as  the  inclination  to  be  constantly  at  work,  often 
spoils  the  sport  that  he  might  otherwise  enjoy.  However 
well  stocked,  no  ground  will  bear  to  be  beaten  over  without 
intermission.  The  same  beat  should  never  be  taken  more 
than  twice,  or,  at  most,  three  times  in  the  week,  even  in  the 
earliest  part  of  the  season. 

In  the  event  of  birds  being  particularly  wild,  the  weather 


ON  SHOOTING.  203 

very  boisterous,  or  the  birds  being  on  the  verge  of  your  beat, 
and  you  know  within  a  small  cast  where  to  find  them,  it  is 
better  to  have  your  dogs  taken  up  ;  as  the  chances  of  getting 
a.  shot  at  the  birds,  if  it  be  but  a  farewell  rattle  at  their  fea- 
thers, are  greater  than  trusting,  in  this  case,  to  the  needless 
hunting  of  your  pointers  or  setters. 

The  same  suggestion  applies  when  birds  have  been  marked 
In.  Although  I  strive  to  get  every  point  that  I  can,  for  the 
gratification  that  it  must  present  to  the  eye  of  a  sportsman,  I 
think  it  far  better  that  you  approach  the  game  with  either 
your  dogs  at  your  heels,  or,  if  not  sufficiently  under  com- 
mand for  them  to  remain  there  without  continued  cautioning, 
to  have  them  taken  up  and  kept  at  a  respectful  distance.  I 
consider  this  to  be  the  best  plan  ;  because  you  are  aware  of 
the  spot  the  birds  are  to  be  found  in,  and  your  dogs  are  not. 
This  causes  a  more  than  ordinary  anxiety  on  your  part ;  and 
any  thing  like  incautious  behaviour  on  the  part  of  your 
quadrupeds,  renders  you  irritable  and  nervous.  As  the  dogs 
then,  at  this  juncture,  can  be  of  no  assistance,  and  may  be 
just  the  opposke,  I  advise  their  removal,  as  a  preliminary  to 
your  nearing  the  game. 

It  very  frequently  happens,  that  after  having  fired  and 
killed  your  bird,  another  bird,  or  perhaps  more,  will  rise 
immediately  afterwards.  Do  not,  therefore,  place  the  butt 
on  tfie  ground,  directly  after  discharging  the  first  barrel,  but 
pause  for  a  little  previously  to  reloading ;  and  never  attempt 
to  pick  up  your  dead  bird  until  you  have  charged  again. 
To  see  a  man  scamper  after  a  bird,  that  he  may  have  brought 
down,  the  moment  it  is  upon  the  ground,  is  a  lamentable  ex- 
hibition of  cockney  notions* in  the  field!  Frenchmen  invari- 
ably do  this ;  and,  in  addition,  halloo  and  cheer  on  their  poo- 
dles to  tear  and  rend  the  wretched  victim  piecemeal.  The 
conduct  of  an  English  sportsman  should  be  decidedly  the  re- 

18*- 


204 

verse.  When  he  has  fired,  his  dogs  should  be  "  Down 
charge."  Speedily  his  gun  should  be  reloaded  ;  and,  carry- 
ing it  in  a  position  prepared  for  immediate  use,  he  should 
then,  and  not  till  then^  proceed  to  pick  up  the  head  of  game. 

To  take  time  by  the  forelock  is  admitted  to  be  the  best 
course  in  the  general  business  of  life  ;  and  to  shooting,  espe- 
cially as  concerns  the  novice,  this  golden  rule  more  particu- 
larly applies.  In  order  to  be  in  good  nerve,  there  should  be 
nothing  procrastinated  to  the  last  moment.  Let  all  your  ap- 
poiptments  and  apparatus  be  prepared  and  ready  for  your 
fixed  hour  of  beginning  the  sport.  Go  to  your  rest  early,  or 
ftt  least  by  your  usua}  time  on  the  preceding  night ;  and  do  not 
quaff  more  than  your  ordinary  measure  of  stimulating  fluid. 
Even  if  you  do  not  take  quite  so  much,  (although  I  am  no 
proselyte  of  Father  Mathew,  be  it  confessed,)  the  reduction 
may  prove  of  considerable  benefit  to  the  following  day's  en- 
joyment. 

Doctors,  it  is  said,  never  agree  ;  and  writers  upon  the  same 
subject  are  often  found  to  be  at  variance.  I  do  not  in  the 
smallest  degree  arrogate  to  myself  a  greater  knowledge  or 
experience  in  shooting  matters  than  Colonel  Hawker  pos- 
sesses. Indeed,  I  am  right  well  content  to  give  him  the  pre- 
cedence. But  still  I  consider  that  I  have  a  right  to  question 
s,omp  of  his  allegations,  if  I  find  them  at  issue  with  my  own 
experience.  In  so  doing,  however,  I  shall  not  avail  myself 
of  the  shelter  of  any  povert ;  but  give  for  every  "  why  "  a 
"  wherefore." 

I  have  spoken  about  the  distances  necessary  to  be  given 
in  the  particular  positions  in  which  the  birds  may  present 
themselves.  Relating  to  these,  the  Colonel  says,  "  In  firing 
a{  random  distances,  where  birds  are  crossing  you  at  the 
distance  of  sixty  or  seventy  yards,  the  average  of  good  shots 
generally  present  not  more  than  half  a  foot  before  them. 


ON  SHOOTING.  205 

But  it  should  be  recollected,  that  after  the  shot  has  been 
driven  through  the  air  to  the  point-blank  distance,  it  travels 
so  much  slower,  that  the  allowance  must  be  greatly  increased  ; 
and  that  although  a  few  inches  may  be  sufficient  to  fire  be- 
fore a  fair  cross  shot,  yet,  at  sixty  or  seventy  yards,  I  should 
fire  at  least  two  or  three  feet  before  the  bird,  if  it  went  with 
any  velocity.  Yes,  even  with  a  detonator,  I  should  do  so,  at 
this  distance  !  Let  any  one  of  my  young  readers,  who  shoots 
fairly,  try  this  against  one  that  adopts  the  ordinary  system, 
and  see  who  will  make  the  greatest  number  of  long  shots. 

While  attending  to  this,  however,  he  must  take  care  not 
to  present  too  low  :  but  pitch  his  gun  well  up,  or,  if  any  thing, 
pull  high  for  the  mark." 

It  may,  nay  it  must  appear  of  the  bragging  order,  for  me 
to  assert  that  it  is  a  property  of  mine  to  be  unusually  effective 
in  bringing  down  birds  at  long  distances.  I  like  a  long  shot 
much  better  than  a  close  one;  and  I  can  account  for  this  by  being 
more  than  an  ordinary  quick,  although  not  a  "  snap-shot." 
Birds  at  long  ranges,  or  snipes  suit  my  style  of  pitching  my 
gun,  far  better  than  a  shot  presenting  itself  immediately  under 
my  foot ;  and  I  would  back  myself  to  kill  a  bird  at  thirty,  or 
even  forty  yards'  rise,  at  two  to  one,  rather  than  a  bird  flushed 
at  the  distance  of  ten  or  a  dozen.  Now,  this  assertion,  al- 
though savouring  of  the  boastful,  I  know  to  be  correct;  and, 
notwithstanding  my  having  frequently  brought  down  my  game 
at  seventy  yards'  range,  I  never  yet  held  my  gun  any  thing 
like  "  two  or  three  feet "  before  the  object.  It  is  quite  true, 
that  birds,  at  a  range  of  this  kind,  require  a  long  anticipatory 
pull  of  the  trigger,  more  particularly  if  going  down  a  strong 
wind  :  at  the  same  time,  it  must  be  taken  into  consideration, 
that  shot  flies  with  a  much  greater  velocity  than^ny  fea- 
thered pinions  were  ever  yet  seen  to  go  at ;  and  a  charge, 
with  the  wind,  has  not  the  same  resistance  as  one  against  it. 


206  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that,  as  far  as  my  experience 
is  concerned,  giving  "  two  or  three  feet "  before  a  bird  with- 
in killing  distance  of  any  gun  that  was  ever  yet  brought  to 
the  shoulder,  (not  taking  into  consideration  duck,  pigeon,  or 
any  particular  kind,)  you  would  shoot  before  it.  This  is  my 
firm  opinion.  The  decision  of  the  point  I  must  leave  to  the 
judgment  of  others. 


PARTRIDGE  SHOOTING.  207 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


PARTRIDGE,  GROUSE,  PHEASANT,  COCK,  AND  SNIPE  SHOOTING. 

IN  the  order  which  I  have  indicated  at  the  head  of  this 
chapter,  I  shall  enter  into  the  details  of  these  respective 
sports,  and  strive  to  afford  all  the  knowledge  necessary  to 
their  enjoyment. 

For  many  years  past,  it  has  been  the  constant  complaint 
that  birds  (partridges)  are  so  extremely  wild,  and  conse- 
quently so  difficult  to  approach  ;  added  to  which,  their  num- 
bers are  yearly  becoming  thinner.  From  east  to  west,  this 
is  the  universal-lamentation  ;  and,  whether  the  enclosures  be 
wide  or  small,  the  hedgerows  thick  or  thin,  the  country  pre- 
served or  wild,  still  the  grievance,  more  or  less,  is  com- 
plained of. 

There  are  several  causes  to  which  these  effects  may  be 
assigned.  In  the  first  place,  there  are  not  the  stubbles  that 
there  used  to  be,  nor  the  shelter  generally,  previously  to  the 
great  and  increasing  improvements  in  agriculture.  The 
scythe  is  now  used  instead  of  the  sickle,  for  the  wheat  crops; 
and  hedges,  banks  and  ditches,  are  kept  bare  and  clean  from 
grass  and  weeds.  This  want  of  protection  drives  the  birds 
into  the  open  lands ;  where,  instead  of  skulking,  they  con- 
fide in  their  wariness  for  safety. 

The  facilities  rendered  to  poachers,  for  getting  rid  of  their 


208 

ill-gotten  plunder,  by  the  licensing  of  dealers  in  game,  is 
among  the  leading  causes  of  the  dearth,  yearly  becoming 
greater.  In  every  town  throughout  England,  however  insig- 
nificant it  may  be,  there  are  two  or  three  dealers  in,  or  more 
properly  speaking,  receivers  of,  poached  game.  Man,  wo- 
man, girl,  or  boy,  may  now  dispose  of  any  quantity,  by 
merely  going  to  these  emporia ;  and  one  of  them  is  certain 
to  be  within  convenient  reach.  Formerly  the  case  was  very 
different.  Poaching  was  undoubtedly  carried  on,  but  to  no- 
thing" like  the  extent  of  the  present  day.  Then  plans  had  to 
be  matured  for  disposal  and  conveyance  to  market;  and  the 
mere  act  of  killing  the  game  was  by  no  means  all  that  was 
requisite  in  the  business  of  the  poacher.  He  required  the 
intermediate  assistance  of  agents,  and  many  preliminaries  had 
to  be  arranged  ;  but  now  none  of  these  are  requisite.  Any 
labourer,  any  boy  about  a  farm,  can  set  a  gin  or  a  snare,  and 
dispose  of  a  single  head,  twenty,  or  a  hundred,  at  the  next 
market  town,  with  as  much  ease  as  so  much  poultry.  The 
country  dealers  will  purchase  any  quantity  ;  as  these  are  the 
parties  generally  who  supply  the  London  poulterers.  I  am 
quite  convinced  that  where  there  was  one  poacher  under  the 
old  law,  objectionable  as  it  was  in  many  points,  there  are 
now  fifty.  None  of  these,  perhaps,  are  such  systematic, 
wholesale  slaughterers  as  the  professed  poacher,  who  made 
his  depredations  the  sole  occupation  of  his  life :  but  those  of 
the  amateurs,  taken  collectively,  far  exceed  his  in  number. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  many  birds  die  from  eating  seed- 
wheat  steeped  in  vitriol;  a  very  common  practice  with  far- 
mers, to  prevent  smut,  and  one  which  was  quite  unknown  a 
few  years  since;  and  thus,  with  poisoned  food,  poaching  on 
an  enlarged  scale,  and  little  shelter  for  the  birds,  there  can 
be  no  surprise  at  their  scarcity  or  their  wildness. 

It  is  a  very  common  rule  with  young  sportsmen  to  begin 


PARTRIDGE  SHOOTING.  209 

their  day's  work  much  too  soon,  on  that  eventful  and  long 
anticipated  day,  the  1st  of  September.  As  soon  as  there  is 
light  (and  more  than  once  or  twice  I  remember  sitting  under 
a  hedge,  waiting  impatiently  for  a  streak  of  the  early  dawn) 
sufficient  to  distinguish  a  partridge  from  that  nocturnal  dis- 
turber, "  whose  screech  makes  night  hideous,"  the  owl,  the 
young  sportsman  is  scouring  the  hill  and  the  valley,  the  low- 
land and  the  upland,  stubble,  turnips,  and  all  that  may  offer 
a  chance  of  finding  the  desired  game  in  ;  when  a  little  delay 
would  be  not  only  more  conducive  to  his  comfort,  the  steadi- 
ness of  his  nerves,  and  the  lasting  of  the  work  with  vigour 
and  freshness  ;  but  would  enable  him  to  get  more  shots  and 
better  sport. 

While  the  dew  of  the  morning  is  saturating  every  leaf  and 
blade  of  grass,  the  birds  are  making  their  matin  meal,  and 
will  never  lie  well  to  a  near  approach.  At  this  time,  they  are 
on  the  stubbles ;  and,  except  a  very  green  beginner,  no  one 
would  attempt  to  wade  through  turnips,  or  any  such  bottom, 
which  is  only  sought  for  shelter  and  security.  Being  on  the 
feed,  the  birds  "are  chary  of  an  approaching  footfall;  and 
rarely  indeed  is  it  that  you  can  get  any  thing  but  a  very  long 
shot.  The  covey,  too,  will  spring  together,  and  not  disperse; 
and,  when  once  disturbed,  will  be  still  more  difficult  to  get 
near,  on  your  second  attempt. 

At  this  season,  when  a  ba/dng  day  may  be  expected,  you 
should  reserve  your  strength  and  freshness,  and  those  also  of 
your  dogs,  (unless  you  be  among  those  few  favoured  by  the 
fickle  goddess,  who  can  afford,  arid  possess,  relays  of  good 
ones,)  for  the  more  favourable  part  o%the  day  ;  and  that  is, 
after  the  birds  have  gone  off  their  feed,  and  the  dew  is  dry 
upon  the  stubble.  If  you  think  that  a  long  day  is  indispen- 
sable for  good  sport,  you  can  always  have  one,  between  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning  and  sunset ;  without  beginning  at  the 


210  THE  SPORTSMAN  LIBRARY. 

first  challenge  of  the  cock.  Birds  do  not  begin  their  feed 
again  until  the  shades  of  evening  close  around  ;  and  I  have 
invariably  found  them  easier  of  approach  from  about  one  till 
four  or  five,  than  at  any  other  hour.  In  the  extreme  heat  of 
the  day,  when  half  an  hour's  exposure  to  the  sun  will  beat 
yourself  and  your  dogs  more  than  four  hours  will  do  in  the 
cooler  portion  of  it,  you  had  much  better  rest  in  a  farm-house, 
or  wherever  you  can  find  a  comfortable  and  cool  lodgment. 
Instead  of  this  pause  causing  a  diminution  of  your  sport,  it 
will  greatly  tend  to  the  reverse  in  the  end  ;  and  the  zest  will 
last  much  longer  than  if  the  body  were  wearied  to  a  crawl, 
and  the  spirits  flagged  and  drooped. 

In  partridge  shooting,  more  particularly  in  an  enclosed 
country,  where  the  banks  and  hedgerows  are  high  and  thick, 
the  assistance  of  some  efficient  markers  will  be  found  of  the 
greatest  service.  These  should  be  placed  so  as  that  they  can 
command  as  wide  a  range  as  possible  ;  and,  from  the  tops  of 
gate-posts,  boughs  of  trees,  &c.,  they  frequently  will  be  able 
to  mark  down  birds  to  a  foot,  which  it  might  not  only  occupy 
much  time  to  find  again  by  your  dogs ;  but  as,  in  the  early 
part  of  the  season,  young  birds  will  fly,  when  disturbed,  into 
corners  and  out-of-the-way  places,  they  may  be  missed  alto- 
gether. 

Sportsmen  who  are  not  expert  in  finding  game,  may  attri- 
bute the  fault  to  hurrying  over  the  ground  too  quickly,  and 
not  beating  it  sufficiently.  To  make  the  ground  "good," 
you  should  let  your  dogs  quarter  it,  and  give  them  time  for 
their  work.  You  should  also  hunt  the  corners  of  fields,  and 
walk  well  over  the  laqd  yourself;  and  not  just  lounge  into 
the  gate  or  through  the  gap,  let  your  dogs  race  superficially 
here  and  there,  and  be  satisfied  that  there  is  no  game  to  be 
found.  To  get  shooting  in  this  careless,  slovenly  manner,  it 
is  necessary  that  birds  should  be  as  plentiful  as  blackberries. 


PARTRIDGE  SHOOTING. 

Great  quietness  of  manner  should  be  observed ;  and  in 
hunting  your  dogs,  let  it  be  done  with  as  little  hallooing  as 
possible.  A  low  whistle,  and  a  motion  of  the  hand,  are  fre- 
quently quite  as  well  attended  to  as  the  unnecessary  exertion 
of  stentorian  lungs. 

It  cannot  have  escaped  the  observation  of  any  one  who 
has  had  a  little  experience  in  shooting,  that  birds  will  occa- 
sionally lie  well,  and  sometimes  qannot  be  approached  by 
very  long  distances.  This  is  not  in  any  way  the  result  of 
accident,  as  many  have  supposed ;  but  is  dependent  upon 
the  weather  and  the  state  of  the  land.  In  a  calm,  preceding 
a  storm,  birds  are  on  the  listen  as  much  as  they  are  on  the 
watch  ;  and  the  state  of  the  atmosphere  permits  them  to  hear 
a  footfall  for  a  considerable  space.  In  windy  weather,  too, 
if  you  attempt  to  get  near  them  down  the  wind,  they  will 
baulk  your  intention,  and  get  away  out  of  shot :  but,  if  you 
draw  up  the  wind,  (which  is  giving  your  dogs  much  better 
chances  of  making  their  points,)  it  is  favourable  to  your  de- 
sign. As  soon  as  the  land  is  dry,  and  a  calm  takes  place 
after  a  storm,  birds  will  be  found  to  lie  fairly;  and,  after  a 
cairn,  they  will  lie  in  windy  weather,  provided  you  are  care- 
ful how  you  approach  them. 

Late  in  the  season,  on  cold  November  days,  when,  as  soon 
as  you  enter  a  field  at  one  end,  the  birds  may  be  seen  scud- 
ding away  at  the  other,  and  following  them  is  of  no  use 
whatever,  you  should  place  yourself  under  the  lea  of  a  bank 
or  hedge,  and  direct  your  servant  to  enter  the  field  on  the 
side  opposite  to  where  you  are.  By  this  manoeuvre,  you 
may  get  a  few  random  shots,  if  it  be  a  matter  of  importance 
to  bag  a  brace  or  two  of  birds:  but  such  artful  "dodges"  as 
riding  horses  over  the  land,  mounting  the  markers,  flying 
kites  to  intimidate  the  coveys,  and  a  host  of  similar  manceu- 
19 


212 

vres,  are,  in  my  opinion,  beneath  the  notice  (save  to  laugh 
at)  of  a  true  sportsman. 

Grouse  shooting  is  liable  to  more  difficulties  than  the  fore- 
going, on  account  of  the  fagging  nature  of  the  ground,  where 
only  moor  game  is  to  be  found :  but  the  same  rules  as  to  the 
time  of  beginning  the  sport,  and  the  way  of  conducting  it, 
so  as  to  remain  fresh  to  the  conclusion,  and,  most  probably, 
the  best  part  of  the  day,  will  apply  to  grouse  as  to  partridge 
shooting. 

The  extent  of  ground  requires  far  more  dogs  than  in  par- 
tridge shooting.  In  the  latter,  a  brace  is  quite  sufficient  to 
work  at  a  time  ;  -and  one  more  too  many  :  while,  in  grouse 
shooting,  to  find  the  game,  you  can  scarcely  have  too  great 
a  number,  so  long  as  they  hunt  steadily. 

When  the  pack  is  found  and  marked  down,  as  in  the  case 
of  partridges,  (but  more  attention  to  the  observance  is  neces- 
sary in  this  kind  of  sport,)  all  the  dogs  should  be  taken  up. 
If,  however,  the  game  is  not  marked  down  to  a  nicety,  one 
stanch  dog  may  be  left,  to  considerable  advantage. 

To  mention  the  old  ruse  of  the  cock  running  cackling 
ahead,  in  order  to  get  you  away  from  the  pack,  is  unneces- 
sary to  an  old  sportsman  :  to  the  less  experienced,  it  may  not 
be  useless.  This  diversion,  stale  as  it  is,  he  very  frequently 
will  make  use  of ;  and,  as  he  is  so  cunning  and  watchful,  the 
best  way  to  commence  thinning  the  family,  is  to  begin  with 
him,  if  possible. 

Where  the  heather  is  thick,  as  in  Scotland,  grouse  will  be 
found  to  lie  close,  in  the  early  part  of. the  season;  but  they 
soon  become  extremely  wild;  and,  except  in  warm  days, 
when  they  bask  in  the  sun  for  a  few  hours,  bid  defiance  to 
the  most  stealthy  approach.  When  they  get  up  six  or' seven 
hundred  yards  from  you,  a  similar  plan,  only  on  a  larger  scale, 
to  that  I  mentioned  for  out-manoeuvring  wild  partridges,  may 


GROUSE  SHOOTING.  213 

prudently  be  adopted.  You  should  head  them ;  and  then, 
when  you  are  ready,  they  should  be  driven  towards  you  by 
.persons  from  behind.  When  this  becomes  necessary,  how- 
ever, you  must  anticipate  only  a  few  wide  random  shots. 
For  this  work,  a  heavy  double,  charged  with  Eley's  cartridges, 
will  be  found  most  effective :  as  grouse  take  a  harder  blow 
than  partridges. 

Pheasant  shooting  may  be  considered  the  tamest  of  all  kinds 
of  shooting,  except  shooting  from  the  trap.  To  have  phea- 
sants, in  any  thing  like  numbers,  it  is  necessary  to  preserve, 
and  to  feed  them  (in  certain  seasons)  with  as  much  care  as 
domesticated  poultry  require  in  the  farm-yard.  Not  but  that 
there  is  plenty  of  sport  in  bringing  down  your  eight  or  ten 
brace  of  "long  tails."  I  have  not,  however,  I  submit,  mis- 
called pheasant  shooting,  in  saying  that  it  comes  under  the 
head  of  "  tame  sporting." 

We  occasionally  see  paragraphs  in  the  papers,  giving  the 
particulars  of  the  wholesale  destruction  of  pheasant*  and 
hares,  and  calling  that  "  good  sport."  I  cannot  imagine 
what  sport  can -be  discovered  in  knocking  down  a  wagon  load 
of  game,  which  it  required  neither  skill  to  find  nor  to  kill. 
I  once  made  one  of  four,  who,  between  eleven  in  the  morn- 
ing and  four  in  the  afternoon,  bagged  six  hundred  head,  in- 
clusive of  rabbits ;  besides  nearly  thirty  more,  recovered  on 
the  following  morning.  And  I  can  declare  that  I  was  not 
only  tired  with  the  slaughter,  long  before  it  was  finished,  but 
upon  our  return,  and  seeing  this  inordinate  quantity  spread  in 
rows  upon  the  lawn,  I  felt  perfectly  sick,  and  believed  at  the 
moment,  that  I  should  never  be  inclined  to  add  another  head 
to  the  list.  This,  however,  was  a  transitory  kick  of  con- 
science. 

If  you  wish  to  rattle  your  coverts,  and  drive  every  phea- 
sant on  the  wing,  there  are  no  abler  assistants  than  a  few 


214  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

couples  of  noisy  spaniels :  and  should  you  wish  to  give  a 
friend  or  two  more  shooting  than  they  can  well  manage,  place 
them  at  the  end  of  the  covert  that  you  are  driving ;  and,  pro- 
vided there  be  any  thing  like  a  good  sprinkling,  they  are 
sure  to  get  the  cream  of  the  fun.  A  more  quiet  method  is,  to 
get  a  few  men  or  boys  to  go  abreast,  and  beat  the  covert  in 
a  regular  manner.  When  a  pheasant  has  been  fired  at,  their 
instructions  should  be,  to  stand  still  and  quiet,  until  the  order 
"  Ready,"  be  given  from  the  person  who  has  fired.  In  this 
description  of  shooting,  a  good  retriever  will  be  found  of  the 
greatest  service.  Very  often  a  winged  pheasant  cannot  be 
taken  except  by  a  dog ;  and  many  fall  where  it  is  very  diffi- 
cult to  find  them  without  assistance. 

Although  this  sport  begins  on  the  1st  of  October,  little 
can  be  done,  in  large  thick  woods,  until  a  later  period, 
when  the  leaves  are  thinned.  But  if  you  are  impatient,  and 
have  a  few  acres  of  gorse  at  hand,  the  pheasants  can,  with- 
out much  difficulty,  be  driven  into  the  furze;  and  then  you 
will  be  enabled  to  get  as  fair  shots  as  you  could  desire. 

Should  it  be  your  wish  to  pay  a  visit  frequently  to  your 
coverts,  in  order  to  get  a  few  shots  quietly,  and  without 
doing  much  mischief  by  disturbing  them,  you  should  be 
attended  by  neither  spaniels  nor  beaters.  Old  pointers  and 
setters,  who,  upon  being  told,  will  break  their  points  and  put 
the  pheasants  up,  are  the  best  for  peaceable  covert  shooting; 
and  their  not  hunting  a  long  way  from  you,  (which  old  dogs 
are  not  apt  to  do,)  is  essential ;  as,  otherwise,  when  they 
have  found  the  game,  you  may  not  readily  be  able  to  find 
them.  Alertness  is  requisite  in  this  mode  of  shooting.  Be- 
fore you  order  your  dog  to  dash  in,  you  should  look  out  for 
a  clear  spot,  to  get  a  sight  at  the  game,  and  place  yourself 
in  the  best  practicable  position  for  this  purpose. 

When  your  dogs  are  out  of  sight,  and  you  are  doubtful 


PHEASANT    SHOOTING.  215 

whether  they  are  at  a  point  or  not ;  you  may  frequently 
ascertain  this,  by  placing  an  ear  close  to  the  ground ;  and 
the  crash  of  the  underwood,  or  the  dead  silence,  will  inform 
you. 

A  friend  of  mine  was  in  the  habit  of  fixing  little  bells  to 
the  neck  of  his  pointer,  engaged  in  this  work ;  and  stated 
that  "he  found  it  an  admirable  plan;  as  he  could  always 
hear,  by  their  ringing  or  not,  the  state  of  affairs. "  I  never 
tried  it  myself;  but  it  may  answer,  I  think,  very  well  for 
those  who  are  not  sharp  of  hearing. 

Cock  shooting  is,  perhaps,  the  extreme  altitude  of  a  true 
sportsman's  ambition.  I  have  made  more  than  one  stare 
with  mute  and  gaping  wonder,  on  asserting  that  I  killed 
twenty-five  couples  in  one  day:  but  some  of  the  mist  and 
doubt  have  been  cleared  away,  upon  my  adding  that  it  was 
in  a  noted  breeding  swamp,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic, 
arid  in  the  month  of  July,  when  they  had  just  become  suffi- 
ciently grown  to  be  worth  bagging. 

In  England,  if  a  man  kill  as  many  in  five  years,  he  will 
consider  himself  well  off,  and  be  an  object  of  envy  to  many 
of  his  less  fortunate  neighbours. 

A  marker  will  be  of  good  service  in  cock  shooting;  for, 
although  the  cock  seldom  flics  a  great  distance,  after  being 
flushed  the  first  time,  yet  he  often  drops  in  out-of-the-way 
spots;  and,  as  he  will  be  more  watchful  at  the  second  ap- 
proach, a  dog  is  very  likely  to  drive  him  up  out  of  shot.  I 
advise,  therefore,  when  he  has  been  marked  down,  that  the 
dogs  be  taken  up.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  belief  that  wood- 
cocks lie  where  they  drop,  and  are  to  be  found  just  in  the 
spot  where  they  are  seen  to  go  down.  This  is  a  mistake. 
They  are  extremely  likely  to  run  some  distance ;  although, 
generally  speaking,  the  beat  need  not  be  wide.  Should  a 
cock  rise  wild,  and  continue  to  get  out  of  distance,  head  him 

19* 


216  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

after  the  second  attempt,  and  desire  your  servant  to  drive 
him  gently  towards  you.  You  will  then  get,  in  all  proba- 
bility, a  famous  opportunity  of  "  sprinkling  "  him,  as  he  flies 
towards  you;  or,  if  you  prefer  it,  after  he  has  passed  over 
your  head. 

In  the  open  air,  a  woodcock  is  any  thing  but  a  difficult 
bird  to  bring  to  the  ground ;  his  flight  being  such  as  to 
allow  of  plenty  of  time  to  get  your  level :  but  in  a  covert, 
where  he  dans  between  close-grown  trees  and  brushwood, 
you  must  pitch  your  gun  quickly,  and  cut  him  down  at 
once;  or  hope  for  no  chance  of  doing  the  like  deed. 

Good,  busy  spaniels  are  indispensable  for  cock  shooting. 
Unless  they  will  "  keep  in,"  however,  and  are  under  good 
command,  you  will  often  hear  the  flap  of  the  cock's  wing; 
but  your  eyes  will  be  seldom  refreshed  by  a  glance  of  his 
body. 

Snipe  shooting  is  considered  the  most  difficult  attainment 
of  the  sportsman ;  that  is,  to  kill  his  birds  in  the  same  hand- 
some style  that  he  manifests  in  a  general  way.  I  have 
known  many  capital  sportsmen  shirk  snipe  shooting,  on  ac- 
count of  their  inability  to  bring  their  birds  down ;  when  I 
have  been  certain  that  all  that  was  required  was  a  little  me- 
thod in  the  sport. 

To  fire  too  quickly,  without  getting  a  level,  is  one  of  the 
principal  causes  of  snipes  getting  away;  although  a  slow, 
poking  shot  has  not  the  remotest  chance  of  ever  being  able 
to  achieve  the  desired  object. 

If  a  snipe  rise  from  under  your  foot,  you  should  not  bring 
your  gun  to  your  shoulder  in  haste  and  in  a  flurry;  but  give 
time  to  turn,  flash,  and  twist;  which  he  will  do  immediately 
upon  getting  on  the  wing;  then  pitch  your  gun,  when  he  is 
going  straight  away,  and  bring  him  to  earth  in  style. 
Should  he  rise  at  a  long  range,  down  with  him  in  a  mo- 


SNIPE  SHOOTING.  217 

ment;  and  rather  trust  to  a  "snap-shot"  than  allow  his  cer- 
tain escape,  by  waiting  until  he  be  out  of  distance;  which 
he  is  sure  to  be  by  the  time  that  he  has  ended  his  puzzling 
manoeuvres. 

Few  birds  are  fleeter  on  the  wing,  and  none  more  so, 
that  a  sportsman  deems  worthy  of  his  notice,  than  snipes ; 
yet  it  is  not  their  speed  that  occasions  the  difficulty  in  shoot- 
ing them,  but  the  undue  haste  and  flurry  that  men  so  gene- 
rally exhibit  in  the  attempt. 

The  swiftness  with  which  snipes  fly  makes  it  necessary 
for  you  to  allow  more  than  usual  of  what  I  have  called 
"anticipatory"  distance.  This  must  be  regulated  in  the 
same  manner  as  in  other  kinds  of  shooting,  and  must  entirely 
depend  on  the  space  that  the  bird  crosses  from  you.  If  it 
be  near, — say  about  twenty  or  five-and-twenty  yards, — you 
should  give  about  three  inches  before  his  head,  at  the  mo- 
ment of  pulling  the  trigger;  and  if  about  five-and-forty  to 
fifty,  give  him  a  full  foot.  When  going  straight  away,  hold 
your  gun  full  high;  for,  if  you  miss,  it  will  be  on  account  of 
throwing  the  charge  under  him. 

With  snipes,  woodcocks,  and,  indeed,  all  birds  flying  over 
your  head,  or  coming  towards  you,  great  care  should  be 
taken,  in  giving  sufficient  distance  before  them,  and  shooting 
fall  high ;  as  the  position  is  very  likely  to  deceive,  and  cause 
you  to  shoot  under. 

A  spaniel,  that  will  keep  within  range  without  rating,  is 
the  best  assistant  for  this  kind  of  sport :  but  as  snipes  are 
generally  shy  and  watchful,  the  less  noise  of  any  kind,  the 
greater  the  chance  of  getting  near  them.  A  steady  old 
pointer  is  also,  up  the  ivind,  of  essential  service :  but  a  snipe 
(unless  it  be  a  jack  snipe,  which  will  lie  closer  and  not  fly 
to  such  a  distance,  when  flushed,  as  the  "full")  does  not 
often  permit  a  dog  to  approach  near  enough  to  make  his 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

point  when  down  the  wind.  Either  way,  it  is  safest  not  to 
allow  his  ranging  wide  from  you. 

In  a  severe  frost,  it  is  of  no  use  to  look  for  snipes  in  those 
spots  that  are  frozen.  In  ditches  that  will  permit  of  their 
boring,  near  warm  springs,  in  sheltered  fords  where  the 
water  still  runs,  and  such-like  spots,  are  their  retreats,  in 
this  weather.  When  it  is,  comparatively  speaking,  mild 
and  open,  they  will  be  found  in  bogs,  moors,  sedgy  bottoms, 
beds  of  rushes,  and  wet  places  of  a  similar  description. 

In  springing  snipes,  you  should  endeavour  to  get  to  wind- 
ward of  them  ;  by  which  you  will  be  more  likely  to  get  a 
cross  shot,  and  probably  prevent  their  rising  out  of  distance. 

The  description  of  land  that  you  are  compelled  to  walk 
over  in  search  of  snipes,  is,  for  the  most  part,  any  thing  but 
of  the  pleasant  order,  and  requires  a  peculiar  equipment,  as 
far  as  the  legs  and  feet  are  concerned,  and  a  corresponding 
observance  in  the  manner  of  treading.  A  pair  of  thick 
waterproof  boots,  reaching  to  the  knees,  I  think  indispensa- 
ble to  comfort  and  health.  And,  if  it  be  a  quaking,  shaking 
bog,  on  whose  uncertain  surface  you  are  walking,  go  slowly 
and  surely.  If  you  proceed  in  a  staggering  gait,  it  will  be 
quite  impossible  for  you  to  shoot  with  any  thing  like  preci- 
sion. Perchance  at  the  moment  you  are  reeling,  a  snipe 
will  be  flushed;  and  then  up  comes  your  gun  under  your 
arm,  and  off  it  goes;  and  so  does  the  bird,  much  to  your 
dissatisfaction. 

Tact  is  required  in  these  little  matters.  To  overlook 
them,  is  to  throw  great  impediments  in  the  way  of  enjoying 
good  sport. 


BLACK  GAME  SHOOTING.  219 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


BLACK  GAME  SHOOTING,  ON  THE  BORDERS  OF  DEVON  AND  SOMER- 
SET.— WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING,  AND  DEER-STALKING. 

THERE  is  no  harder  work  for  the  sportsman  than  fagging 
through  a  broiling  day  in  September,  in  search  of  black 
game.  This  arduous  but  exciting  sport  used  to  be  com- 
menced universally  on  the  20th  of  August;  but,  under  the 
new  laws,  it  is  illegal  in  the  New  Forest,  Somersetshire,  and 
Devonshire,  until  the  1st  of  September.  These  are  the  ex- 
ceptions to  the  rule ;  as  every  where  else,  it  is  permitted  to 
begin  on  the  original  day,  above  named. 

In  the  hottest  weather,  through  stiff  and  unyielding  heath, 
pleasantly  interspersed  with  bogs  and  fir  plantations,  (which 
are  planted  because  no  other  trees  will  grow  in  these  exten- 
sive and  tenantless  wastes;)  and  with  the  knowledge,  when 
you  set  out,  that  the  likelihood  is  that  you  will  have  very 
few  shots;  this  description  of  sport  may  be  truly  said  to  be 
of  an  arduous  character.  A  shooting  cob  may  occasionally 
be  mounted,  to  refresh  your  wearied  limbs:  but,  from  the 
nature  of  the  ground,  it  is  quite  impossible  to  ride  with  any 
thing  like  a  continuance. 

The  old  cock  is  one  of  the  most  wary  birds  that  flies,  and 
is  seldom  seen  with  the  pack;  which  is  always  accompanied 
by  the  gray  hen.  Even  at  the  earliest  part  of  the  season, 
the  cock  runs  a-head  of  the  pack;  and  is  far  more  thought- 


220 

ful  of  his  individual  preservation,  than  the  security  of  his 
lady-love  or  progeny.  It  frequently  occurs  that,  throughout 
an  entire  day,  you  may  never  see  an  old  black  cock;  although 
you  may  find  several  packs  of  "poults,"  as  the  young  ones 
are  called,  and  with  them  the  more  careful  mother. 

Even  the  poults  are  wary  enough.  After  the  second 
week  in  September,  and  the  pack  has  been  rattled  a  few  times, 
they  will  defy  any  thing  resembling  a  close  range.  In 
winter,  the  old  cocks, — -and  a  beautiful  shiny  jet  plumage 
they  have, — assemble  together  in  large  companies;  and  it  is 
impossible  to  approach  them,  so  mindful  and  watchful  are 
they  of  any  inimical  tread  directed  towards  their  haunts. 

The  shooting  black  game  is  so  like  grouse  shooting,  that 
a  single  suggestion  about  the  sport  would  be  superfluous. 

The  only  chance  of  bringing  down  an  old  black  cock,  is  to 
get  into  ambush,  and  then  have  him  driven  towards  you. 
Even  should  his  quick  eye  catch  a  glimpse  of  you,  and  his 
course  be  directly  over  your  head,  he  will  seldom  change  it. 

A  good  heavy  double,  fatiguing  as  it  may  be  to  carry, 
loaded  with  Eley's  cartridge,  is  the  "  iron  "  for  this  work. 


Wild-fowl  skooting  on  shore  and  afloat. 

It  does  not  follow  that,  because  a  man  has  killed  some 
few  scores  of  wild-fowl,  he  may  take  upon  himself  the  title 
of  being  "  a  wild-fowl  shooter."  As  well  might  one  who 
hooks  a  trout  occasionally,  flatter  himself  that  he  is  an  ac- 
complished fisherman.  It  is  far  from  my  intention  to  arro- 
gate to  myself  any  thing  in  connexion  with  a  department  of 
sporting  that  I  have  not  followed  sufficiently  to  understand, 
in  every  particular:  therefore,  I  shall  at  once  admit,  that 
although  I  have  shot  numbers  of  wild-fowl,  more  particu- 


WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING,  221 

larly  during  my  sojourn  in  North  America,  yet  I  am  by  no 
means  a  professed  wild-fowl  shooter.  I  have  ever  consi- 
dered it  a  sneaking,  tame,  miserable  occupation,  rather  than 
as  coming  under  the  head  of  sport.  It  is  all  very  well  for 
the  needy  fowler  on  the  coast  to  lie  in  ambush  in  the  day, 
and  creep  and  push  his  punt  along  the  ooze  by  night,  for  the 
wholesale  destruction  of  the  fowl  feeding  on  the  savannahs 
of  the  shore.  There  is  a  demand  in  the  markets  for  these 
birds;  and  such  are  the  means  of  supply.  But  any  body 
who  really  takes  delight  in  this  slaughtering,  must  have  a 
very  different  idea  of  sport  from  that  which  I  entertain.  I 
hold  in  utter  contempt  any  mode  of  killing  which  is  pursued 
as  a  sport,  wherein  nothing  is  wanted  but  cold-blooded 
butchery.  And  let  me  ask  what  can  be  more  cold-blooded, 
both  literally  and  figuratively  speaking,  than,  in  the  depth 
of  a  winter's  night,  to  punt  within  range  of  a  countless  mul- 
titude of  birds,  grazing  together  in  a  solid  mass,  and  then, 
after  some  hours'  watching,  perhaps  to  get  one  shot  at  them  ? 
It  really  is  more  contemptible  and  cruel  than  some  battues  I 
have  heard  of;  for  in  the  one  case,  the  wretched  cripples 
flap  away,  to  meet  with  the  horrid  death  of  starvation; 
while  in  the  other,  the  army  of  keepers  generally  manage  to 
stop  the  unhappy  victims  with  bludgeons  and  such-like  means 
of  stoppage  in  transitu. 

It  will  readily  be  conceived,  with  these  affections  towards 
wild-fowl  shooting,  that  I  am  no  advocate  for  such  a  mis- 
called sport.  However,  without  a  farther  philippic  against 
it,  I  will  state  the  ways  and  means  of — as  a  cockney  would 
say — circumwenting  the  wary  birds. 

I  do  not  mean  that  it  is  impossible  to  have  fair  and  legiti- 
mate sport  with  wild-fowl.  I  have  wandered  by  the  stream 
on  a  clear,  bracing,  frosty  day,  and  brought  down  the  fine 


222 

old  mallard,  as  he  capped  the  rushes  with  his  broad  strong 
wing,  with  as  much  delight  as  I  have  done  any  bird  that  I 
ever  cut  from  air  to  earth  or  water.  But  that  is  not,  in 
strictness,  called  "  wild-fowl  shooting." 

To  get  near  wild-fowl  is  the  principal,  if  not  the  sole  dif- 
ficulty to  be  encountered.  As  with  every  kind  of  bird  ex- 
tremely shy  and  wary,  a  great  deal  of  caution  and  patience 
is  necessary.  The  mode  of  approaching  the  flock  pitched 
in  a  fen  or  on  the  shore,  is,  to  screen  yourself  as  much  as 
possible,  and  to  crawl  on  your  hands  and  knees  towards 
them.  For  this  manoeuvre,  great  care  should  be  paid  to 
your  dress;  so  that  the  colour  may  not  attract  the  attention 
of  the  birds.  When  the  snow  is  on  the  ground,  a  white 
jacket  and  cap  are  the  best.  Were  it  not  too  cold  for  the 
ears,  it  would  be  better  to  doff  the  cap. 

In  consequence  of  the  acuteness  of  their  senses  of  smell- 
ing and  hearing,  it  is  indispensable  that  the  fowler — I  will  not 
call  him  a  sportsman — shoujd  make  his  approach  to  leeward ; 
for  it  is  impossible  to  get  within  range,  if  the  proceeding  be 
attempted  to  windward.  I  am  now  alluding  particularly 
to  shooting  the  birds  with  a  fowling-piece,  and  not  a  punt 
gun. 

When  the  fowl  fly  in  small  trips  from  one  place  to  ano- 
ther, the  plan  is  to  hide  yourself  in  some  convenient  nook, 
or  to  make  an  ambush,  and  then  intercept  them  as  the  flights 
pass  to  and  fro.  For  this,  you  must  observe  the  greatest 
quietude;  and  not  have  a  flaring  coat  or  hat  on.  It  is  safer 
to  have  a  couple  of  guns ;  as  you  may  get  opportunities  of 
firing  both  occasionally,  previously  to  your  being  capable 
of  reloading  one. 

With  birds  of  such  a  wary  nature,  your  screen,  if  artificial, 
must  look  as  natural  as  possible  ;  or  it  will  act  very  like  a 


WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING.  223 

scarecrow  to  rooks.  And  if  you  can  find  a  mute,  or  a  person 
who  can  act  like  one,  to  load  your  second  gun  for  you,  it  will 
greatly  facilitate  your  destructive  operations. 

In  -pursuing  the  killing  of  wild-fowl  by  night,  the  same  re- 
gard must  be  paid  to  getting  near  them  to  leeward,  or  the 
chances  are  greatly  against  your  approaching  within  an  effec- 
tive range.  There  is  less  difficulty  in  nearing  the  flock  with- 
in some  thirty  yards,  by  adopting  this  precaution,  than  in 
getting  within  five  times  that  distance,  if  directly  to  wind- 
ward. 

A  fine  moonlight  night  is  the  best  time  for  this  kind  of 
shooting.  You  can  then,  in  your  white  punt  and  gear,  not 
only  make  close  work  of  the  business,  but,  by  getting  the 
flock  under  the  light,  get  an  aim  that  will  cut  through  them. 
It  not  unfrequently  happens  that  the  dark  shadows  on  the 
shining  mud  banks  look  so  much  like  the  birds,  that,  to  an 
inexperienced  eye,  they  might  prove  extremely  deceptive. 
The  novice  must,  therefore,  be  quite  certain,  before  he  pulls 
the  trigger,  that  what  he  sees  is  a  flock  of  wild-fowl ;  and  not 
be  too  hasty  in  his  decision.  If  the  moon  be  clear  and  bright, 
he  will  soon  discover  whether  the  black  line  consists  of  birds, 
by  seeing  it  change  its  form ;  and  he  may  even  observe  the 
birds  paddling  on  the  mud.  If  it  is  not  sufficiently  bright  for 
him  to  depend  upon  his  vision,  he  must  listen  attentively, 
and  he  will  hear  the  peculiar  noise  which  all  ducks  make 
when  feeding  in  puddles  or  on  mud.  This  will  prove  a 
guidance  for  his  operations.  He  should  be  cock-sure,  before 
he  startles  fish  and  fowl  with  the  blaze  and  roar,  that  he  shoots 
at  something  more  than  a  mud  bank. 

When  he  is  certain  that  the  mass  before  him  consists  of 

wild-fowl,  he  must  be  cautious  not  to  allow  the  noise  from 

their  countless  numbers  to  deceive  him  as  to  the  distance. 

In  a  dark  night,  such  deception  is  very  likely  to  take  place  ; 

20 


224  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

for  the  sounds  from  such  enormous  masses,  as  may  occasion- 
ally be  fired  into,  are  very  likely  to  mislead  the  tyro,  as  to 
the  length  of  the  range  from  where  he  is  posted. 

When  the  tide  is  flowing,  and  momentarily  forcing  the 
multitude  of  fowl  into  more  compact  bodies,  it  is  expedient 
to  reserve  your  fire  until  they  are  so  edged  together  that  the 
charge  must  cut  through  them,  like  a  saw  through  a  piece  of 
timber.  You  will  find  them  driven  from  spot  to  spot,  until 
the  water  floats  them  off  from  the  last  bit  of  ooze  remaining; 
and  just  before  this  critical  moment,  is  the  time  for  pouring 
the  volley  of  destruction  among  them. 

In  punting  up  to  them,  you  must  be  careful  not  to  make 
any  splash  or  sudden  noise  of  any  kind  ;  and  in  order  to  les- 
sen the  likelihood  of  being  seen  by  the  birds,  your  punt 
should  be  kept  straight,  or,  in  nautical  language,  well  fore 
and  aft. 

The  distance  must  be  regulated  in  accordance  with  the 
kind  of  night  that  you  have.  If  it  be  an  uncertain  light,  oc- 
casioned by  the  moon  bursting  suddenly,  now  and  then,  from 
between  dark  clouds,  your  care  should  be  to  approach  the 
flock  not  closer  than  you  would  if  it  were  a  very  bright  steady 
light.  The  kind  of  shore  will  also  regulate  this.  If  you  have, 
as  the  fowlers  call  it,  "  a  good  loom,"  that  is,  elevated  black 
land  behind  you,  the  birds  can  be  approached  much  closer 
than  if  there  be  no  such  mask  to  your  whereabouts. 

When  the  tide  is  receding,  or  what  sailors  call  ic  the  ground 
ebb,"  it  is  easier  to  get  near  wild-fowl  than  at  any  other  state 
of  the  tide.  This  should  be  the  selected  time,  if  possible,  for 
the  fowler  to  come  to  close  quarters  with  the  flock ;  and  if 
his  caution  be  as  great  as  a  cat  about  to  spring  upon  her  prey, 
and  his  dress  and  punt  be  white, — or,  perhaps,  the  colour  of 
canvass  is  an  improvement,  if  the  moon  and  stars  are  glaringly 
bright,— h>e  will  be  able  to  get  within  a  raking  range. 


WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING.  225 

If  you  hear  the  birds  feeding,  and  then  find  them  of  a  sud- 
den cease  to  do  so,  it  is  a  sure  sign  that  they  are  aware  of 
something  wrong,  arid  are  both  disposed  and  prepared  to 
take  wing.  The  best  precaution  then  is,  to  remain  perfectly 
quiet  until  their  feeding  be  resumed,  if  you  feel  convinced 
that  you  are  not  near  enough  for  a  shot.  But  if  you  be  with- 
in any  thing  like  a  fair  range,  let  drive  at  them  at  once;  for 
it  is  most  probable  that  an  attempt  to  better  your  position 
will  rob  you  of  the  shot  altogether. 

You  are  not  justified  in  squibbing  and  blazing  out  of  mere 
wantonness,  at  wild-fowl,  on  a  coast  where  you  know  num- 
bers of  poor  men  depend  on  this  kind  of  pursuit  for  a  subsis- 
tence. I  do  not  mean  to  say  that*i  gentleman  has  not  a  per- 
fect right  to  shoot  wild-fowl  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  in  the 
same  way  that  the  humble  fowler  who  supplies  the  London 
poulterer  has.  But  a  random,  useless  shot  frequently  pre- 
vents the  poor  fowler  from  meeting  with  his  hard  gains  ;  by 
scaring  away  the  birds  at  the  very  moment,  perchance,  when 
he  was  about  to  reap  them.  In  this  kind  of  shooting,  one 
shot  must  frequently  prevent  another  ;  and  great  care  should 
be  taken  not  to  cause  such  effects  unnecessarily. 

In  quitting  the  punt,  to  collect  the  dead  and  crippled,  one 
should  invariably  be  left  in  the  boat.  Distressing  accidents 
have  occurred,  in  consequence  of  a  want  of  observance  of 
this  precaution ;  boats  having  drifted  away,  leaving  the 
wretched  fowlers  to  drown.  As  it  is  impossible  to  walk  on 
the  mud  without  mud  pattens,  I  may  remind  the  nocturnal 
adventurer  of  the  necessity  of  providing  himself  with  these 
indispensable  assistants.  During  the  time  that  one  is  en- 
gaged in  picking  up  the  birds,  the  other  should  keep  the 
punt  close  to  him,  and  render  any  assistance  that  may  be 
required  ;  but  on  no  account  should  he  leave  the  punt. 


226  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 


'Deer-  Stalldng. 

Deer-stalking  is  one  of  those  exclusive  sports  which  can 
only  be  indulged  in  by  the  few.  I  have  not  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  killing  a  deer  in  this  country,  except  one  outlying 
deer:  but  I  have  shot  many  in  the  far  West ;  and  can  there- 
fore speak,  from  experience,  of  the  way  in  which  the  antlered 
monarch  of  the  wild  should  be  brought  to  the  ground. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  deer  common  in  Great  Britain  ; 
the  fallow  deer,  the  red  deer,  and  the  roebuck.  The  two 
last  are  chiefly  confined  to  the  Highlands  of  Scotland ;  but 
the  red  deer  are  still  to  be  found  in  their  native  coverts,  in 
Devonshire  and  Somersetshire,  where  I  have  seen  them 
drawn  for  and  hunted,  "  with  hound  and  horn,"  as  in  days 
of  yore. 

Unless  a  deer  be  hit  through  his  heart,  brain,  spine,  or 
forelegs,  he  will,  notwithstanding  he  may  be  mortally  wound- 
ed, bound  away,  as  if  untouched,  for  a  considerable  distance. 
For  a  long  shot,  you  had  better  take  him  just  behind  the  fore- 
leg ;  as  that  part  presents  the  easiest  mark,  and  you  will,  in 
all  probability,  reach  his  heart.  In  shooting  at  his  head,  be 
careful  that  you  do  not  fire  too  low ;  as  you  may  uselessly 
and  cruelly  break  his  jaw.  If  standing  sideways,  give  him 
the  lead  through  his  forelegs,  or  his  head  ;  and  be  sure  not 
to  hit  his  launch,  let  his  position  be  what  it  may.  In  going 
from  you,  fire  at  the  back  part  of  his  head ;  and  in  facing 
you,  which  is  the  worst  mark  that  he  can  offer,  aim  at  the 
middle  of  his  chest.  I  shot  a  stag  in  that  part,  on  one  occa- 
sion, as  he  was  sweeping  up  a  narrow  path  towards  me; 
and  he  fell  dead  in  an  instant,  the  bullet  having  reached  his 
heart. 

These  are  the  vulnerable  points  for  the  sportsman  to  select ; 


DEER  STALKING.  227 

and  he  should  be  careful  not  to  make  any  other  part  of  the 
animal  the  target  for  his  level. 

Very  great  coolness  is  required,  in  bringing  a  deer  down 
handsomely.  The  eager  desire  which  naturally  accompanies 
the  pursuit  of  such  high  game,  is  frequently  the  cause  of 
defeat  and  mortification. 

Large  shot  is  generally  used  for  the  roebuck:  but  the  bullet 
is  necessary  for  the  red  and  fallow  deer.  For  a  beginner, 
however,  or  one  so  nervous  that  he  cannot  control  the  rifle 
with  a  probability  of  hitting  the  deer  except  in  a  slovenly 
manner,  I  recommend  a  heavy  single  gun,  loaded  with  a 
mixture  of  S  G  and  A  A  shot.  This  will  give  him  the  best 
chance. 

When  a  deer  has  been  hit  and  gets  away,  he  should  be 
followed  up  as  quickly  as  possible  with  your  hounds  ;  and, 
if  he  be  wounded  severely,  they  will  soon  run  into  him. 


BOOK  IV. 


GAME,  SPORTING  DOGS,  fe. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

A  LIST,  ALPHABETICALLY  ARRANGED,  OF  GAME,  WILD-FOWL, 
AND  BIRDS  GENERALLY  PURSUED  BY  THE  SPORTSMAN  ;  THEIR 
NAMES  AS  GIVEN  BY  BEWICK,  &C.  ;  WITH  A  FEW  HINTS  CON- 
CERNING THE  MODE  OF  SHOOTING  THEM. 

Bittern;  Bog  Bumper ;  Bittern  Bum  ;  or  Mire  Drum.  A 
bird  nearly  as  large  as  the  common  heron,  and  which  feeds 
upon  fish.  It  is  shy  and  solitary,  and  never  on  the  wing 
during  the  day  ;  but  sits  commonly  with  the  head  erect,  hid 
among  the  reeds  and  rushes  in  the  marshes,  where  it  always 
takes  up  its  abode.  When  it  changes  its  haunt,  it  removes 
in  the  dusk  of  the  evening ;  and  then,  rising  in  a  spiral 
direction,  soars  to  a  great  height.  It  flies  in  the  same  heavy 
manner  as  the  heron;  and  might  be  mistaken  for  that  bird, 
were  it  not  for  the  singularly  resounding  cry  which  it  utters 
from  time  to  time  while  on  the  wing,  and  the  heavy  booming 
noise  of  its  wings. 

The  bittern  was  held  in  great  estimation  as  a  delicacy  for 
the  table.  I  partook  of  part  of  one,  some  years  since,  that  I 
killed  in  a  fen  in  Lincolnshire :  but  a  resolution  was  formed 


LIST  OF  GAME  BIRDS,  &C.  229 

by  me  at  that  time,  not  to  taste  another.  The  strong  fishy 
flavour,  I  feared,  would  haunt  my  palate  for  ever. 

This  denizen  of  the  swamp  is  a  bold  bird,  and  will  defend 
itself  from  the  buzzard,  or  when  wounded,  from  capture  by 
the  sportsman,  with  great  courage.  As  he  is  capable  of  giving 
severe  wounds  with  his  sharp,  strong  beak,  care  should  be 
taken,  in  the  event  of  winging  or  disabling  him,  to  avoid  his 
thrusts. 

Spaniels  that  will  keep  t/i,  and  spring  bitterns  within  range, 
are  the  best  assistants  in  this  kind  of  sport ;  as  the  birds  lie 
too  close  for  pointers,  generally  speaking. 

Black  Cock;  known  also  as  the  heath-cock,  and  heath- 
poult.  See  particulars  in  "Black-game  Shooting." 

Brent  Goose.  These  birds,  like  other  species  of  the  same 
genus,  quit  the  rigours  of  the  North  in  winter,  and  spread 
themselves  southward,  in  search  of  milder  climates.  The 
brent-geese  are  then  to  be  met  with  on  the  British  shores, 
and  pass  the  winter  months  in  the  rivers,  lakes,  and  marshes. 
Their  modes  of  living  and  habits  do  not  differ  materially  from 
those  of  the  other  numerous  families  of  wild  geese. 

Bustard.  This  is  the  rarest  and  largest  of  our  land  birds. 
Indeed,  so  very  uncommon  is  it  now,  that  very  few  sportsmen 
of  the  present  day  even  see  one ;  much  less  get  a  shot  at  this 
rara  avis.  Its  general  characters  seem  to  connect  it  with  the 
ostrich  and  cassowary.  On  the  plains  of  Dorsetshire,  Wilt- 
shire, and  Yorkshire,  it  may  still  be  occasionally  seen :  but 
total  extinction  seems  to  be  inevitable.  There  is  another 
kind  called  the  little  bustard^  which  is  exceedingly  rare  in  this 
country;  but  is  by  no  means  so  in  France. 

Capercailzie.  The  habits  of  this  beautiful  inhabitant  of 
the  pine  forests  of  Norway,  are  very  like  those  of  the  black 
grouse.  It  is  to  be  found  in  some  parts  of  Scotland.  His 
Royal  Highness  Prince  Albert  shot  a  fine  specimen,  during 


230 

his  visit  to  that  rock-ribbed,  cloud-clapped  land.  But  it  is 
to  be  met  nowhere  else  throughout  Great  Britian. 

Coot.  The  common  coot  has  so  many  traits  and  features 
like  the  rails  and  water  hens,  that  to  place  it  after  them  seems 
a  natural  and  easy  gradation.  These  birds,  which  are  an  in- 
ferior water-fowl,  are  difficult  to  get  upon  the  wing  ;  as,  on 
the  approach  of  danger,  they  instantly  seek  a  retreat  among 
weeds  and  rushes.  Even  a  water-dog,  however  good  he 
may  be,  will  have  great  trouble  in  driving  them  from  their 
shelter.  The  best  mode  of  out-manceuvring  them,  is  to  station 
yourself  quietly  to  leeward,  and  have  a  gun  fired  iowiridward 
before  their  getting  into  the  flags.  This  will  frighten  them 
towards  you.  I  have  now  been  speaking  of  coots  on  a  pond 
or  any  inland  place.  On  the  coast,  when  the  object  is  to 
slaughter  numbers,  you  have  but  to  station  yourself  so  as  to 
pour  into  the  flight  as  it  passes  :  or  to  punt  towards  them,  when 
feeding  on  the  ooze,  in  the  same  way  that  other  wild-fowl 
are  approached.  They  invariably  fly  to  windward;  so  that 
the  North  wind  brings  them  to  the  North. 

Curlew.  With  this  bird  Linnaus  begins  a  numerous  tribe, 
under  the  generic  name  of  Scolopax ;  which,  in  his  arrange- 
ment, includes  all  the  snipes  and  godwits.  In  Britain,  the 
curlew's  summer  residence  is  upon  the  wide  moors  and  heaths. 
In  winter  they  assemble  in  great  numbers  upon  the  coast: 
where  they  may  be  killed  in  vast  numbers.  There  is  a  dis- 
pute between  authors  as  to  the  time  when  the  ctirlew  is  best 
suited  for  eating :  but,  having  shot  them  inland  and  on  the 
coast,  and  partaken  of  their  flesh  at  both  seasons,  I  can  state 
from  experience  that  it  is  miserable  stuff  at  both  periods.  The 
Little  Curlew  or  W/nmbrel  resembles  the  common  curlew  in 
shape,  colour,  and  manner  of  living;  but  it  is  much  better 
eating,  and  about  half  the  size.  The  whimbrel  is  not  so  fre- 
duently  seen  on  the  sea  shores  of  this  country  as  the  curlew. 
It  is  also  more  retired  and  wild. 


LIST    OF    GAME    BIRDS,  &C.  231 

Dotterel.  The  dotterel  is  common  in  various  parts  of  this 
country,  though  in  some  places  it  is  scarcely  known.  In  May 
and  June,  they  frequent  the  heaths  and  moors  of  Cambridge- 
shire, Lincolnshire,  and  Derbyshire,  in  small  flocks;  and  are 
then  very  fat,  and  much  liked  for  the  table.  The  Ring  Dot 
lerel,  Ring  Plover,  or  Sea  Lark,  is  to  be  found  in  all  the 
Northern  counties.  They  migrate  in  the  spring,  and  take 
their  departure  in  autumn.  During  the  summer,  they  may 
be  seen  running  nimbly  along  the  sand  on  the  sea-shore; 
occasionally  taking  short  flights,  with  a  loud  twittering  noise; 
then  alighting  and  running  again.  As  they  are  often  diffi- 
cult to  get  near,  the  best  plan  is  to  secrete  yourself,  and  either 
wait  for  their  getting  within  range,  or  have  them  driven 
towards  your  station,  and  then  rake  them  as  they  pass. 

Ducks.  Under  this  general  head,  there  are  various  kinds 
of  wildfowl  which  shall  be  named  in  their  order. 

Eider  Duck.  This  wild  but  valuable  species  is  of  a  size 
between  the  goose  and  the  domestic  duck,  and  appears  to  be 
one  of  the  graduated  links  between  the  two  kinds.  On  some 
parts  of  the  coast  of  Norway,  in  particular  breeding  places, 
they  assemble  in  vast  numbers;  but  very  few  visit  this 
country. 

Gannet,  Gan,  Soland  or  Solan  Goose.  This  bird  is  gene- 
rally three  feet  in  length,  and  weighs  about  seven  pounds. 
It  may  occasionally  be  seen  on  nearly  every  coast,  when  the 
shoals  of  herrings  are  abundant ;  sweeping  over  and  darting 
on  to  the  waves,  like  the  sea-gull. 

Garganey.  This  is  one  of  the  minute  species  of  wildfowl; 
being  but  little  bigger  than  the  teal.  It  is  rather  a  scarce 
bird;  but  may  be  found  in  the  Norfolk  fens,  where  they 
occasionally  breed. 

Godwit.  BufTon  gives  eight  species  of  this  division  of  the 
Scolopax  genus.  They  are  a  timid,  shy,  and  solitary  tribe; 


232  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

and  seldom  remain  more  lhan  a  day  or  two  in  the  same 
place.  It  often  happens  that,  in  the  morning,  not  one  is  to 
he  found  in  those  marshes  where  they  were  numerous  the 
evening  before.  They  remove  in  a  flock,  in  the  night;  and, 
when  there  is  moonlight,  may  be  seen  passing  at  a  vast 
height.  There  is-  no  particular  skill  required  in  killing 
them;  and  they  are  delicate  and  excellent  eating, 

Golden-eye.  The  weight  of  this  species  varies  from 
twenty-six  ounc.es  to  two  pounds.  Golden-eyes  do  not  con- 
gregate in  large  flocks,  on  the  British  shores;  nor  are  they 
numerous  on  the  lakes,  in  the  interior.  They  are  excellent 
divers;  and  seldom  set  foot  on  land,  except  in  the  breeding 
season. 

Goose.  There  are  several  sorts  of  wild  geese,  which 
migrate  to  this  country  from  more  northern  and  inclement 
regions.  The  common  Wild-goose,  or  Graylag,  is  to  be 
found  in  great  numbers,  in  certain  seasons.  They  may 
always  be  known  by  their  assuming  a  particular  fgure  in 
their  flight.  Unlike  others  of  the  same  species,  they  seek 
their  feeding  places  inland,  on  the  water  meadows  and  corn 
fields.  These  birds  are  very  watchful.  The  best  mode  of 
getting  a  shot  at  them,  as  at  all  the  rest  of  the  kind,  is,  to 
take  them  unawares,  by  waiting  with  consummate  patience, 
in  ambush,  near  the  spots  they  frequent,  and  then  pouring 
into  the  company  a  sweeping  charge.  The  flesh,  however, 
is  scarcely  eatable,  and  but  a  coarse  morsel  at  best.  Brent 
Geese  are  also  common;  and  will  repay  the  fowler  for  kill- 
ing them,  by  proving,  when  plump,  capital  eating  birds. 
Egyptian  Geese,  it  has  been  asserted,  visit  these  shores:  but 
the  fact  appears  questionable.  Red-Breasted,  Geese  are  na- 
tives of  Russia  and  Siberia.  They,  without  doubt,  pay  us 
a  visit  now  and  then:  but  it  may  be  truly  said  that  it  is  a 
flying  one  when  they  do  so.  The  White-fronted  or  Laugh- 


LIST  OF  GAME   BIRDS,  &C.  '233 

ing  Goose  visits  the  fens  and  marshy  places  in  England,  in 
small  flocks,  in  the  winter  months;  and  disappears  about  the 
beginning  of  March.  These  birds  form  a  part  of  those  vast 
tribes  which  swarm  about  Hudson's  Bay,  and  the  Norih  of 
Europe  and  Asia.  They  are  but  thinly  scattered  over  the 
other  quarters  of  the  world. 

Grebes.  These  curiously  formed  birds  are  ranked  by 
Ray  and  Linnosus  with  the  diver  and  guillemot.  They  are 
almost  continually  on  the  water;  where  they  are  remarka- 
ble for  their  agility.  The  Tippet  Grebe,  Eared  Grebe,  Dusky 
Grebe,  Red-necked  Grebe,  Little  Grebe,  and  Black-chin  Grebe, 
are  varieties  of  the  species.  It  is  unnecessary  to  enter  into 
their  particular  habits  as  they  bear  a  very  close  similarity 
to  each  other. 

Greenshanked  Godwit,  or  Greenlegged  Horseman,  This 
species  is  not  numerous  in  England.  In  the  winter  months, 
they  appear  in  small  flocks,  on  the  sea  shore  and  adjacent 
marshes;  and  they  are  delicate  eating.  In  the  summer 
months,  they  seek  the  northern  regions  of  Russia  and 
Siberia. 

Grouse.  There  are  three  varieties  of  grouse  besides  the 
wood  grouse  or  capercailzie  previously  mentioned  :  Black 
Grouse,  Black  Game,  or  Black  cock  ;  Red  Grouse,  Red  Game, 
Gorcock,  or  Moorcock;  and  White  Grouse,  White  Game,  or 
Ptarmigan.  Enough  has  been  already  said,  under  the  head 
of  "  Black  game  and  Grouse  shooting,"  concerning  these 
birds,  for  the  sportsman's  purpose. 

Guernsey  or  French  Partridge.  This  species  was  im- 
ported into  England  by  the  Marquis  of  Hertford,  in  1768. 
They  are  more  prolific  than  the  gray  partridge;  and,  in 
some  parts  of  Suffolk  and  Norfolk,  are  very  numerous.  I 
had  a  manor  in  the  former  county,  on  which  a  great  many 
bred  annually;  but  I  found  them  so  pugnacious  with  respect 


234  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

to  the  gray  coveys,  so  difficult  of  approach,  (except  in  the 
snow  when  they  fenced,)  and  so  injurious  to  dogs,  by  run- 
ning like  hares  before  them,  that  I  ordered,  and  assisted  in, 
their  total  extermination.  Where  these  birds  abound,  the 
common,  and  greatly  more  valuable,  English  partridge  can- 
not live. 

Hare.  Hares  are  universal,  and  consist  of  two  kinds ; 
the  common  hare,  and  the  alpine  or  white  hare:  which  last 
is  found  in  Norway,  the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  and  other 
mountainous  parts.  As  I  have  said  elsewhere,  "  Shoot  for- 
wards," at  this  kind  of  game. 

Jacksnipe,  Judcock,  Gid,  or  Jetcock.  This  little  bird  has 
the  same  shape  and  habits  as  the  larger  snipe :  but.  it  lies 
much  closer,  and  takes  a  short  flight  when  flushed.  An  old 
steady  pointer  is  the  best  for  finding  the  jacksnipe.  Epicures 
recommend  this  species  for  eating,  in  preference  to  the  com- 
mon snipe.  He  is  a  puzzling  bird  to  bring  down  in  a  strong 
wind,  for  a  slow,  poking  shot :  but  take  time,  as  he  springs 
from  your  foot,  before  bringing  your  gun  to  your  shoulder, 
and  then  cut  the  "  artful  dodger"  down  handsomely. 

Knot.  This  bird  is  common  in  Lincolnshire  and  other 
counties.  It  affords  poor  sport;  as  it  depends  for  safety,  on 
skulking  among  the  rushes,  rather  than  on  flight.  In  the 
winter,  when  the  fens  are  frozen,  the  knots  repair  to  the 
coast;  where  they  may  be  slaughtered  in  great  numbers, 
being  easy  of  approach. 

Landrail,  Daker  Hen,  or  Corncrake. — This  bird  has 
proved  a  great  puzzle  to  naturalists;  some  affirming  that  it 
is  a  bird  of  passage;  and  others  questioningMts  migratory 
powers,  from  the  shortness  of  its  wings  and  its  general  indis- 
position to  fly-  It  now,  however,  is  a  settled  fact,  that 
landrails  a-re  birds  of  passage.  In  Ireland,  they  are  far 
more  numerous  than,  in  England..  When  once  flushed,  they 


LIST  OF  GAME  BIRDS,  &C.  235 

are  exceedingly  difficult  to  drive  on  the  wifig  again*  The 
first  chance  therefore  should  never  be  lost. 

Lapwing,  Bastard  Plover,  or  Pee- Wit.  The  lapwing  is  a 
constant  inhabitant  of  this  country :  but  as  it  subsists  chiefly 
on  worms,  it  is  obliged  to  change  its  haunts,  in1  quest  of 
food;  These  birds  are  frequently  seen  in  great  numbers  on 
the  sea-shore,  where  they  find  an  abundant  supply  of  food. 
Their  eggs  are  more  valuable  than  their  bodies :  yet  I  have 
eaten  them,  in  September,  and  considered  them  well  worth 
powder  and  shot. 

Mallard, — is  the  drake  of  the  wild  duck.  Like  the  rest 
of  the  duck  tribe,  the  mallards,  in  prodigious  numbers,  quit 
the  north,  at  the  end  of  autumn;  and,  migrating  southwards, 
arrive  in  the  British  Isles  at  the  beginning  of  winter,  in  large 
flocks,  and  spread  themselves  over  the  lochs  and  marshy 
wastes.  They  pair  in  the  spring  j  when  the  greatest  part  of 
them  again  retire  northward  to  breed :  but  many  straggling 
pairs  remain  with  us. 

Morillon. —  The  morillons  are  generally  seen  in  small 
flocks,  diving  far  their  food,  near  the  shore. 

Partridge. — For  particulars,  see  "Partridge  Shooting." 

Pheasant. — For  particulars,  see  "Pheasant  Shooting." 

Pigeons. — Of  these  the  varieties  are  innumerable;  but  as 
they  are  of  greater  interest  to  the  ornithologist  than  to  the 
sportsman,  I  shall  not  enter  into  a  detail  regarding  them. 

Pintail  Duck,  Sea  Pheasant,  Cracker,  or  Winter  Duck. — 
This  beautiful  bird  does  not  visit  us  in  numbers,  except  in 
very  severe  winters:  but  flocks  of  them  are  occasionally 
spread  abundantly  along  the  isles  and  shore's  of  Scotland  and 
Ireland; 

Plover.*- Besides  the  Lapwing,  t)otterel,aud  Ring  Dotterel 
there  are,  The  Great  Plover,  The  Golden  Plover,  The  Gray 
Plover,  and  The  Long-legged  Plover.  Except  the  gray  plover 
21 


236  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIARARY. 

and  the  long-legged  plover,  the  rest  feed  inland;  and  may  be 
found  on  the  wastes  and  marshes,  where  they  feed  on  worms. 
In  shooting  plovers,  it  is  the  common  remark  with  sportsmen 
that  the  second  is  always  the  more  productive  barrel;  for  it 
frequently  happens  that,  when  out  of  range,  they  will  sweep 
down  at  the  report,  and  present  a  fair  shot  for  the  reserved 
charge.  The  golden  plover  is  the  most  prized,  as  a  delicacy 
for  the  table. 

Quail.  This  bird,  although  universally  diffused  throughout 
the  four  quarters  of  the  globe,  is  very  rare  in  England. 
They  breed  with  us  in  small  numbers.  To  find  a  bevy  of 
quail  is  one  of  those  very  rare  events  that  may  occur  once  in 
a  long  lifetime.  I  have  shot  a  great  many  in  the  United 
States,  where  they  afford  much  sport;  and  I  think  it  would 
be  worth  the  trouble  and  expense  to  import  this  fine  and 
large  sort,  from  that  country:  as  the  North  American  quail 
is  a  bird  adapted  for  every  variety  of  season,  and  can  live 
where  our  partridges  would  die. 

Rabbit.  Shoot  well  forward  at  rabbits.  If  you  merely 
break  a  leg,  and  a  burrow  be  near,  the  rabbit  is  sure  to 
scramble  into  it.  The  head  should  be  the  mark. 

Redshank,  Red-legged  Horseman,  Pool-snipe,  or  Sand  Cock. 
This  bird  is  generally  seen  alone,  or  in  pairs  only.  They 
frequent  the  fen  and  marshy  countries,  the  greater  part  of  the 
year ;  and  are  not  so  common  on  the  sea-shore,  as  several 
others  of  kindred  species, 

Ringdove,  Cushat,  or  Wood  Pigeon.  This  is  the  largest  spe- 
cies of  dove  in  England,  and  is  too  well  known  to  need  a  parti- 
cular description.  The  best  plan  that  I  have  found,  for  getting 
within  range  of  this  watchful  bird,  is,  to  take  your  station  close 
to  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  in  the  covert  they  frequent ;  and  then, 
under  this  shelter,  to  wait  for  their  coming.  It  is  strange 
that,  wary  as  these  birds  are,  they  will  perch  on  the  branches 


LIST  OF  GAME  BIRDS,  &C.  237 

within  easy  range  of  you,  without  seeing  the  danger,  if  your 
movements  be  quiet;  and  yet  to  steal  upon  them  is  next  to 
impossible.  Except  when  feeding  on  turnips,  they  are  very 
good  eating. 

Ruff.  The  female  is  called  The  Reeve.  These  birds  vary 
greatly  in  plumage  ;  scarcely  two  being  found  quite  alike. 
They  migrate  to  the  fens  in  England,  in  spring;  and  leave 
us  in  the  winter.  The  Ruff  is  seldom  shot;  as  he  seeks  the 
rushes  in  the  day  time,  and  defies  being  flushed.  They  are 
generally  taken  in  nets,  by  fowlers  who  make  a  trade  of 
catching  them. 

Scaup  Duck,  or  Spoonbill  Duck.  This  duck  is  not  uncom- 
mon in  most  parts  of  this  kingdom,  in  winter;  and  is  fre- 
quently found  in  fresh  waters.  It  is  supposed  to  take  its 
name  from  feeding  on  broken  shells,  called  scaup.  This,  like 
most  of  the  genus,  breeds  in  the  more  northern  parts. 

Scoter,  Black  Duck,  or  Black  Diver.  In  severe  winters, 
the  scoters  leave  the  northern  extremities  of  the  world,  in 
immense  flocks  ;  dispersing  themselves  southward,  along  the 
shores  of  more  temperate  climates.  They  are  only  sparingly 
scattered  over  the  coasts  of  England. 

Sheldrake,  or  Borrough  Duck.  This  species  is  dispersed, 
in  greater  or  less  numbers,  over  the  warm  as  well  as  over  the 
cold  climates.  They  are  met  with  as  far  north  as  Iceland, 
in  the  spring ;  and  in  Sweden  and  the  Orkney  Islands,  in  the 
winter.  Although  not  numerous  on  the  British  and  opposite 
shores,  yet  they  are  common  enough  in  the  British  Isles  ;  where 
they  remain  throughout  the  year,  always  in  pairs  ;  occasion- 
ally straggling  away  from  the  sea  coasts  to  the  lakes  inland. 

Snipe.  Snipes  are  plentiful  in  most  parts  of  England  ;  and 
are  found  in  all  situations,  in  high  as  well  as  in  low  lands  ; 
depending  much  on  the  weather.  In  very  wet  times,  they 
resort  to  the  hills ;  at  other  periods  they  frequent  marshes, 


238  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

where  they  can  penetrate  the  soil  with  their  bill,  in  pursuit 
of  worms,  which  are  their  principal  food.  A  fe\y  remain 
with  us  the  whole  year,  and  breed  in  the  marshes  and  bogs. 
For  farther  particulars,  see  "  Snipe  Shooting."  See  also 
"  Jacksnipe." 

Stag.     For  particulars,  see  "  Deer-stalking." 

Stockdove.     The  ringdove. 

Swan.  In  the  severity  of  winter,  wild  swans  are  not  un- 
commonly seen,  in  various  parts  of  the  British  Isles.  They 
do  not,  however,  remain  longer  than  the  approach  of  spring ; 
when  they  again  retire  northward,  to  breed.  It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  say,  that  they  take  a  hard  blow  to  cripple  them. 

Teal.  This  beautiful  little  duck,  the  best  eating  of  all  the 
tribe,  is  common  in  Epgland  in  the  winter  months.  It  takes 
not  a  harder  blow  than  a  partridge,  to  bring  down  ;  and,  if 
flushed  out  of  shot,  will  not  fly  a  great  distance  before  it  will 
again  drop  in  the  brook.  No  time,  however,  should  be  lost 
in  following  him  up ;  as  he  is,  very  likely  to  ma.ke  t}ie  best  of 
his  way  down  the  stream. 

Velvet  Ducky  Double  Scoter,  or  Great  Black  Duck — is  larger 
than  the  rnillard,  and  much  resembles  the  scoter  before  men- 
tioned. This  bird  is  very  seldom  met  with  on  the  British 
shores. 

Water  Crake,  Water  Rail,  Skitty,  or  Spotted  Gallinule. 
This  is  found  in  most  marshy  parts  of  England  in  the  win- 
ter ;  but  not  in  numbers.  It  is  a  skulking  bird  ;  and  very 
difficult  to  flush  a  second  time ;  although  its  flight,  like  that 
of  the  land-rail,  is  never  far. 

Water  Hen,  or  Moor  Hen.  A  common  bird,  not  worthy  of 
notice,  either  for  the  sport  it  affords  or  the  value  of  the  flesh, 
when  killed. 

Water  Rail,  Bilcock,  or  Velvet  Runner.  Like  the  other  va- 
rieties of  rails,  this  evinces  the  same  disposition  to  trust  to 


LIST  OF  GAME  BIRDS,  &C.  239 

hiding  itself  among  sedges,  rushes,  and  other  coarse  herbage, 
rather  than  to  flight.  When  driven  on  the  wing,  it'presents 
a  very  easy  shot,  from  the  slow  and  awkward  manner  in 
which  it  flies. 

Widgeon.  Widgeons  fly  in  flocks  during  the  night  ;  and 
may  be  known  from  other  birds,  by  their  whistling  note  while 
they  are  on  the  wing.  They  remain  with  us  during  the  win- 
ter, in  vast  numbers  ;  and  spread  themselves  along  the  shores 
and  over  the  marshes. 

Woodcock.     See  "  Woodcock  Shooting." 

Woodpigeon.     See  "  Ringdove." 

There  are  but  few  of  the  foregoing  list  that  I  have  not 
killed,  in  some  part  or  other  of  the  globe  ;  and  if  my  readers 
should  find  but  a  tithe  of  the  delight  that  I  have  experienced 
in  the  pursuit  of  these  creatures  u  by  field  and  flood,"  many 
of  the  hardships  which  must  be  borne,  will  be  amply  repaid, 
and  a  large  balance  of  pleasure  still  remain. 


240  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


POINTERS,  SETTERS,  SPANIELS,  AND  RETRIEVERS, THEIR 

BREEDING,  BREAKING,  AND  MANAGEMENT. 

THE  pointer  now  in  general  use  was  originally  obtained  by 
a  cross  between  the  old  Spanish  pointer,  so  long  maintained 
in  its  purity  of  breed,  and  the  fox-hound.  The  Spanish 
pointer,  now  almost  lost  as  a  distinct  race,  was  larger, 
stronger,  and  more  steady,  than  the  one  now  called  the  Eng- 
lish :  but,  wanting  speed  and  activity,  the  cross  was  made 
to  obtain  these  desired  qualities. 

1  am  by  no  means,  however,  an  admirer  of  very  fast  dogs 
for  shooting  purposes.  They  are,  generally  speaking,  ex- 
tremely wild,  by  no  means  careful  in  their  hunting  ;  apt  to 
flush  their  game  unintentionally,  particularly  in  turnips  or  in 
any  thick  bottom,  and  miss  and  overrun  the  game  when  gal- 
loping down  the  wind.  A  slow  dog  is  extremely  objection- 
able in  large  enclosures,  and  where  game  is  very  scarce ; 
but,  taking  these  cases  as  exceptions,  I  am  quite  convinced 
that  you  may  get  better  shooting,  and  much  closer  to  your  game, 
by  a  slow  and  careful  dog  than  by  a  fast  and  rattling  one  ; 
admitting  that  the  one  is  as  well  broken  as  the  other,  and 
will  as  readily  obey  the  word  of  command,  the  motion  of  the 
hand,  &c. 


POINTERS  AND  SETTERS.  241 

The  aim  of  the  breeder  should  be  to  obtain  such  blood  as 
probably  will  produce  perfection,  or  an  approach  to  it,  in  the 
progeny.  If  the  bitch  is  very  fine  and  fleet,  I  recommend 
that  the  dog  be  tending  to  the  reverse ;  for,  if  he  be  of  the 
same  stamp,  you  will  have  puppies  "  too  fine."  The  same 
observation  applies  in  opposite  cases. 

Colour  and  size  are  matters  of  fancy  ;  but  plenty  of  white 
about  pointers  and  setters  is  serviceable  in  grouse  shooting, 
or  in  wide  enclosures  ;  as  you  are  enabled  to  see  them  at 
long  distances.  In  using  them  for  covert  shooting,  a  corres- 
ponding advantage  is  experienced,  from  their  catching  the 
eye  quickly. 

Having  repeatedly  mentioned  the  absolute  necessity  of 
awarding  a  liberal  diet  to  all  animals  in  young,  and  to  the 
progeny  when  produced,  it  is  needless  to  say  that  the  pointer 
must  be  treated  in  the  same  manner.  Cleanliness,  fresh  air, 
&c.  must  be  strictly  attended  to,  that  the  puppies  may  thrive 
and  keep  free  from  diseases.  The  more  they  are  permitted  to 
run  about  the  better,  provided  it  is  not  in  a  village,  where 
•  a  stone  now  apd  then,  a  broomstick,  a  kettle  with  a  few 
pebbles  in  it  tied  to  their  tails,  and  kicks  and  punishments 
are  frequently  administered  on  account  of  their  play  and 
mischief;  as  exercise  is  greatly  conducive  to  their  health, 
improves  their  legs  and  feet,  uses  them  to  sounds,  and  makes 
them  bold ;  and  association  renders  them  apt  in  their  tuition. 
I  can  imagine  a  smile  on  the  lip  of  more  than  one  of  my 
readers  when  he  sees  this  latter  part  of  the  asserted  benefit : 
but  let  a  puppy,  accustomed  to  run  at  large  in  and  about  a 
farm  house,  and  another  from  the  same  litter,  closely  ken- 
neled, be  taken  into  the  field  for  the  rudiments  of  educa- 
tion, and  see  which  of  the  two  will  be  dullest  of  comprehen- 
sion. 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

I  would  back  the  former  against  the  latter,  at  twenty  to 
one. 

In  breaking  dogs,  I  have  not  the  slightest  hesitation  in 
saying,  that  where  one  is  spoiled  from  a  want  of  severity  and 
punishment,  there  are  a  hundred  ruined  by  cruelty  and  inju- 
dicious and  barbarous  application  of  the  whip,  and  the  still 
more  abominable  use  of  the  foot.  A  man  in  the  habit  of 
kicking  his  dogs  is  unworthy  of  a  claim  to  be  other  than  a 
brute.  In  the  heat  of  passion,  a  hasty  act  of  the  kind  may  be 
excusable  ;  but  if  a  keeper  of  mine  repeated  it,  to  my  know- 
ledge, I  would  discharge  him  at  a  moment's  warning. 

There  cannot  be  a  question  that  some  young  dogs,  like 
schoolboys,  require  and  will  bear,  more  and  severer  punish- 
ment than  others.  Some  are  strong-headed,  wilful,  devil- 
may-care  spirits,  who,  when  the  smart  is  over,  forget  both 
the  cause  and  the  effect.  Others  are  timid,  dreading,  and 
sensitive  animals,  who  should  have  but  the  mildest  form  of 
chastisement,  and  with  whom  a  word  and  a  stern  look  pro- 
duce much  more  lasting  effects  than  the  severest  flogging,  in 
the  before-mentioned  description.  It  is  obvious,  therefore, 
that  a  knowledge  of  the  dispositions  of  the  dogs  to  be  broken 
is  absolutely  indispensable,  previously  to  taking  them  into 
the  field.  Nothing  can  be  more  erroneous  than  to  suppose 
that  the  discipline  for  one  will  do  for  another  ;  and  yet,  when 
does  a  breaker  take  this  into  consideration  ?  He  receives  a 
young  dog  from  a  gentleman,  with  orders  "  to  break  him." 
He  knows  nothing,  and  cares  as  little  about  the  disposition 
of  the  animal.  Into  the  field  he  takes  him,  with  one  or  two 
others,  possessing,  perhaps,  a  little  more  knowledge  of  their 
business,  and  "hey's  him  off."  A  lark  springs,  and  the 
puppy  chases  it  in  raptures.  "Ware  lark!"  halloos  the 
breaker,  with  stentorian  lungs  ;  and  very  likely  gets  hold  of 
the  dog's  ear,  and  thunders  this  caution  for  a  minute  or  s" 


POINTERS  AND  SETTERS.  243 

If  he  be  more  patient  than  the  majority  of  his  tribe,  he  will 
repeat  this  twice  or  even  thrice ;  and  then  comes  the  thong 
and  whip-cord  ad  libitum.  Now,  if  the  dog  be  not  strong 
and  high-spirited,  he  is  ruined  from  this  moment.  If  he  can- 
not forget,  and  readily  forget,  the  first  severe  punishment  that 
he  receives,  without  being  aware  of  the  wrong  that  he  has 
committed, — as  he  cannot  at  so  early  a  stage  of  his  educa- 
tion,— the  dog  is,  from  this  time,  only  of  the  value  of  his 
skin. 

Considering  the  great  number  of  pointers  and  setters  bred 
annually  by  gentlemen  who  are  very  particular  in  getting  the 
best  and  choicest  blood,  it  may  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to 
many  that  there  are  not  more  good  and  valuable  dogs ;  for 
that  there  is  a  dearth  no  one,  in  want,  will  doubt,  upon  trying 
to  get  such  dogs. 

An  experienced  sportsman  is  so  well  aware  of  this  diffi- 
pulty,  that,  if  he  has  a  really  good  dog,  no  price  will  purchase 
the  animal  from  him.  He  knows  that  he  may  lay  out  twice 
over  the  sum  that  he  receives  for  the  dog,  in  buying  others ; 
and  yet  the  lot  be  not  worth  a  tithe  of  the  one  parted  with. 
He  is  also  aware  of  the  expense,  trouble,  and  time  necessary 
to  breed,  break,  and  render  a  dog  efficient  for  the  field.  It 
is  not  a  work  of  months,  but  years  ;  for  no  dog,  however  ex- 
cellent in  points  of  breeding,  and  however  unexceptionable 
the  care  bestowed  upon  his  breaking  and  general  treatment, 
can  acquire  perfection  in  his  work,  save  by  time  and  slow 
degrees. 

When  we  come,  therefore,  to  reflect  upon  the  attention  in- 
dispensable in  the  treatment  of  the  puppy, — the  sweet  milk, 
pat  and  barley-meal,  boiled  flesh,  broth,  vegetables,  cleanli- 
ness, exercise,  breaking,  and  experience  necessary  to  make 
him  a  "  good  dog," — what  price  ought  to  be  set  upon  his 
head,  when  that  is  accomplished?  Generally  speaking,  a 


244 

man  thinks  that  he  is  doing  the  thing  handsomely  when  he 
offers  ten  guineas.  Taking  the  foregoing  particulars  into 
consideration,  and  supposing  it  to  be  the  dog's  third  season, 
the  earliest  period  at  which  he  can  be  of  any  thing  like 
value, — let  me  ask  if  it  must  not  have  cost  more  to  rear 
him. 

I  am  fully  aware  that  "  dog-dealers"  and  "  dog-stealers" 
dispose  of  their  stock  at  a  cheap  rate  ;  but  what  is  the  value 
of  ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  of  their  dogs,  when  pur- 
chased ?  That  which  the  tanner  would  give  for  their  hides. 

Let  every  sportsman  bear  in  mind  that,  unless  his  dogs  are 
good,  he  had  better  be  without  them;  as,  instead  of  assisting 
him  they  will  mar  and  frustrate  his  sport.  My  advice  is, 
Never  part  with  a  good  dog  for  any  sum  ;  for  you  may  never 
have  the  like  again.  It  does  not  fall  to  the  lot  of  many  men 
to  have  many  dogs  of  the  class  I  am  referring  to.  A  first- 
rate  pointer  or  setter  is  a  rare  animal. 

To  suggest  the  way  in  which  the  sportsman  may  become 
the  master  of  a  dog  in  every  way  desirable,  is  a  task  of  no 
ordinary  difficulty.  If  he  knows  that  a  dog  is  good,  and  is 
to  be  bought,  the  easiest  method  is  to  buy  him ;  let  the  sum 
be  a  pull,  and  a  strong  pull.  This  is  the  cheapest  and 
readiest  method,  even  although  the  amount  sound  rather 
large  for  the  ear.  But  let  me  warn  the  novice  against  the 
deceptive  trials,  which  may  be  had  recourse  to,  of  the  ani- 
mals advertised  as  "the  property  of  a  gentleman,"  so  con- 
spicuous in  the  columns  of  the  newspapers  in  the  month  of 
August.  One  might  be  led  to  suppose  that  shooting  had 
become  plebeian  of  a  sudden;  and  that  all  the  best  pointers 
and  setters  belonging  to  "gentlemen"  were  for  disposal,  at 
that  season  of  the  year.  These  are  mere  snares  for  the  flats, 
in  by  far  the  greater  number  of  instances.  If  a  gentleman 
had  kept  his  dogs  until  just  before  the  commencement  of 


POINTERS  AND  SETTERS.  245 

shooting,  it  is  not  very  likely  that  he  would  then  part  with 
them. 

I  recollect  being  "  taken  in,"  when  a  fledgeling,  by  one  of 
these  puffing  announcements,  in  the  most  perfect  manner  that 
a  rascal  could  desire.  The  advertisement  stated,  that  "  a 
fair  trial  would  be  given  ;  and  that,  if  the  dogs  did  not  meet 
the  full  approbation  of  the  purchaser  within  one  month,  the 
money  would  be  returned."  Thinking  all  this  remarkably 
fair,  I  hastened  to  the  place  where  the  animals  might  be 
seen,  a  few  miles  from  London.  There  a  man  very  like  a 
gamekeeper  in  his  costume  and  person, — for  he  was  big  and 
burly,  and  wore  a  black  velveteen  shooting  jacket,  breeches, 
and  gaiters, — was  ready  to  show  me'the  quadrupeds;  a  brace 
of  fine  liver-and-white  pointers. 

He  stated,  in  an  indifferent  tone  and  manner,  that  "  they 
belonged  to  Squire  somebody  in  Norfolk,  with  whom  he 
formerly  lived  as  keeper.  That  ill-health  obliged  him  to 
give  up  his  situation;  and  that  he  now  earned  an  honest 
penny,  until  something  better  turned  up,  by  selling  dogs  on 
commission.  He  knew  the  brace  that  he  now  offere^  me 
\vell ;  and  better  a  gentleman  never  saw;  and  the  only  reason 
for  their  being  parted  with  was,  that  the  Squire  had  more 
than  he  required.  They  were  warranted  perfect, — and  the 
price  thirty  guineas." 

This  sounded  to  me  very  plausible ;  and  to  ray  wish  to 
see  them  in  the  field,  a  ready  acquiescence  was  given. 
"  You'll  see  in  a  moment  what  they  are,  sir,"  said  this  honest 
agent,  taking  a  pistol  and  whistling  them  into  an  adjacent 
enclosure.  "Hold  up,"  said  he;  and  away  they  galloped. 
Off  banged  the  pistol,  and  down  the  dogs  dropped,  as  if  they 
had  been  shot.  "  That's  the  way  for  dogs  to  act,"  said  he, 
turning  to  me  with  a  look  of  admiration.  u  I  only  wish," 
continued  he,  uthat  there  was  birds  here,  just  for  to  show 


246 

you  how  they  act  with  them:  but  there  is  one  thing,  you 
know,  sir," — and  then  he  smiled  as  if  the  supposition  was 
ridiculous; — "suppose  they  don't  suit  ye,  you've  only  to 
return  'em  to  me  within  a  month,  and  have  back  your 
money." 

Nothing  could  be  fairer,  nothing  more  just,  in  my  estima- 
tion; and  willingly  I  became  the  purchaser  of  these$  as  I  be- 
lieved, invaluable  animals. 

It  happened  that  T  had  no  opportunity  of  testing  their 
merits  until  the  1st  of  September;  it  being  within  three  or 
four  days  of  that  time  when  I  bought  them.  And  then,  in  a 
well  preserved  manor  in  Essex,  I  made  the  trial,  in  full  con- 
fidence of  a  satifactory  result. 

Never  can  I  forget  the  disappointment!  I  "hey'd  "  them 
off;  and,  the  first  covey  they  found,  instead  of  standing  and 
backing,  away  they  went  in  full  chase,  yelping  and  barking 
like  two  sheep  dogs  at  a  flock.  I  called,  halloo'd,  and 
whistled  in  vain.  On  they  raced  over  hedge  and  ditch, 
amid  roars  of  laughter  from  a  companion,  to  whom  I  had 
been  talking  rather  "large"  of  my  new  purchase. 

"You'll  see  them  no  more!"  shouted  he:  "you'll  never 
see  them  again." 

Beginning  to  be  of  the  same  opinion,  I  thought  of  the  ex- 
pediency of  firing  my  gun.  I  pulled,  and  down  the  twain 
fell  flat  on  tne  ground  in  a  moment.  "  Gulled,  gulled, 
gulled !"  I  exclaimed ;  and  so  the  case  turned  out ;  for,  upon 
taking  the  earliest  opportunity  of  returning  the  dogs,  which 
was  within  a  fortnight  of  purchasing  them,  I  learned  that  the 
"Squire's  keeper  "  (?)  had  gone  no  one  knew  whither,  for 
he  was  only  a  lodger. 

These  dogs  had  no  more  knowledge  of  their  work  than 
one  of  the  horses  in  Astley's  amphitheatre  has  of  crossing 
country;  although  he  may  be  fully  capable  of  clearing  a 


POINTERS  AND  SETTERS.  247 

rope,  hurdle,  or  jumping  through  a  paper  hoop.  They  had 
been  taught  to  drop  to  the  report  of  a  pistol  or  gun,  and  to 
the  hand,  by  dint,  in  all  probability,  of  half  a  dozen  cruel 
floggings;  and  from  fear  only  they  crouched  to  the  signal. 

In  breaking  a  dog,  patience,  and  a  temper  not  easily  ruffled, 
is  the  very  first  quality.  A  hasty,  passionate  man  is  in 
no  way  qualified  for  the  duties  required  of  a  teacher  to  the 
young  idea.  He  will  to  a  certainty  completely  spoil  many 
dogs  which,  under  different  treatment,  would  have  turned 
out  good  and  valuable;  and  will  seldom,  if  ever,  render  a 
dog  worth  the  keeping. 

I  hold  in  the  profoundest  contempt  check-collars,  puzzles, 
and  suchlike  expedients  for  the  breaking  of  pointers  and  set- 
ters. It  is  true  that  they  are  becoming  of  the  things  that 
were  ;  and  well  they  may,  when  we  consider  that  they  are  but 
the  means  of  forcing  the  action  and  position  of  the  animal. 
In  reading  the  innumerable  devices  suggested  in  sporting" 
works,  for  the  treatment  of  young  dogs,  I  have  frequently 
thought  that  the  compilers  could  never  have  seen  a  dog  in  the 
field  ;  or  such  ridiculous  suggestions  would  not  have  been 
submitted  to  the  sporting  public. 

Without  referring  more  particularly  to  the  laughable  theo- 
ries concerning  check-collars,  puzzles,  pegging  dogs  down, 
burying  live  partridges  under  tiles,  and  permitting  them  to 
fly  a  few  yards,  by  lengths  of  string  tied  to  their  legs,  and  other 
pantomimic  tricks ;  I  shall  now  proceed  to  state  my  views  of 
the  way  in  which  a  dog  should  be  treated,  to  bring  him  to  the 
proper  standard  of  what  a  pointer  or  a  setter  should  be. 

I  will  suppose  him  to  have  been  well-bred  ;  as  although  a 
pig  has  been  taught  to  find  game  and  to  point,  yet  unwearied 
must  have  been  the  attention  bestowed  upon  the  task ;  and  a 
vast  deal  of  trouble  will  be  saved,  if  the  animal  be  naturally 
designed  for  the  work  desired  of  him.  I  have  referred  to 
22 


THE  SPORTSMANS  LIBRARY. 

this  in  a  preceding  page ;  and  have  recommended  that  the 
cross  be  so  managed  that  the  medium  between  "  too  fine  "  and 
"  too  coarse  "  may  be  obtained.  The  dog  that  is  very  fast, 
is,  in  my  opinion,  more  objectionable  than  the  one  that  is 
slow  ;  and,  as  the  point  of  speed  is  dependent  on  the  breed, 
this  must  be  regulated  between  the  sire  and  the  dam. 

I  have  seen  in  print,  ere  this: — "Keep  your  blood  un- 
stained,  as  much  depends  on  keeping  it  pure  from  any  cross" 
That  such  stuff  should  ever  be  promulgated  !  Without  a  cross, 
dogs  degenerate  ;  and,  to  breed  in  and  in,  is  destruction  to 
every  animal.  Injudicious  crosses  must,  however,  be  avoided  ; 
otherwise  you  may  get  a  creature  more  fitted  to  kill  rats  than 
to  find  game. 

Independently  of  the  size  and  colour  of  the  dog,  which  I 
leave  to  the  taste  of  the  breeder,  there  are  certain  points 
which  are  indispensable  to  his  becoming  good.  His  nose 
must,  for  instance,  be  sensitive  to  its  functions ;  and  his 
strength  and  speed  should  be  such  as  to  enable  him  to  last 
on  his  work.  I  have  had  dogs  of  such  weak  constitutions 
that,  notwithstading  all  the  care  I  have  bestowed  upon  them, 
they  could  not  be  brought  to  endure  reasonable  fatigue  :  and, 
after  performing  well  for  an  hour  or  two,  would  slink  to  my 
heels,  in  a  state  of  exhaustion.  For  this  there  was  no  remedy  ; 
as  it  proceeded  from  the  failing  in  their  constitutions,  and  the 
cross  was  wanting. 

The  points  of  symmetry  in  a  pointer  and  setter  are:  neck 
and  head  set  on  straight;  a  poll  rising  to  a  point;  well-hung 
ears;  open  muzzle;  flue-jawed;  full  hazel  eyes;  deep  in  the 
shoulders;  elbows  in;  straight  legs;  small  feet,  with  the  balls 
open  and  standing  true;  back  a  little  hooped;  broad  loins; 
flat  sides;  stern  set  on  high,  being  very  fine:  if  a  setter,  it 
should  be  deeply  feathered. 

It  does  not  follow,  however,  that,  because  a  dog  has  not 


POINTERS  AND  SETTERS.  249 

these  points  collectively,  he  cannot  become  valuable.  At  the 
same  time,  if  he  possesses  them,  he  will  be  the  picture  to 
please  the  eye  of  the  connoissieur,  and  be  so  much  the  more 
desirable  as  stock  to  breed  by  or  from. 

To  break  a  well-bred,  well-managed,  likely  dog,  I  recom- 
mend his  being  made,  in  the  first  instance,  a  companion  of 
the  person  about  to  undertake  the  task.  Let  him  be  fed, 
taken  to  his  exercise,  and  played  with,  by  his  preceptor ;  and 
more  will  be  done  in  one  week  by  him,  than  in  a  month,  or 
in  three  months,  by  a  stranger.  The  breaker  will  know  the 
temper  and  disposition  of  the  dog,  and  the  dog  will  compre- 
hend his;  and  thus  an  understanding  being  established  be- 
tween them,  progress  can  be  made  at  a  rapid  rate.  Besides, 
when  a  dog  is  the  companion  of  the  breaker,  it  is  a  natural 
inclination  on  the  dog's  part  to  strive  to  obey  the  breaker's 
desires;  and  a  cheer,  praise,  and  caresses  are  far  more 
valued  from  such  a  one,  and  rating  and  punishment  far  more 
dreaded,  than  from  the  hand  of  a  mere  stranger,  in  whom 
the  dog  has  no  interest. 

A  quiet  manner  of  breaking  the  pointer  and  setter,  is  much 
more  desirable  than  a  noisy,  violent,  and  turbulent  one. 
Some  men  are  apt  to  halloo  in  the  loudest  and  roughest 
voice  possible,  and  to  assume  a  hideously  stern  look  upon 
the  committal  of  the  most  trifling  faults.  This  is  quite  un- 
necessary ;  and  moreover  inures  the  animal  to  violence.  If 
a  more  gentle  tone  be  adopted,  as  a  general  rule,  the  loud  and 
severe  one  will  operate  as  a  check  on  the  repetition  of  an 
error,  active  or  passive,  and  produce  a  better  effect  than  the 
lash. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  enter  into  such  details  as 
teaching  the  dog  to  "'down  charge;"  to  drop  by  the  motion 
of  the  hand  ;  to  quarter  his  ground  as  you  may  direct  him  ; 
to  come  "  to  heel ;"  to  "  back  "  without  jealousy,  and  "  stand  " 


250  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

when  true;  to  "heed"  breaking  field,  and  "ware"  larks 
or  any  small  birds  that  he  may  chance  to  spring;  to  "  have 
a  care  "  when  he  puddles  on  false  or  dying  scent ;  to  "  ware 
hare  or  rabbit,"  when  he  chases;  and  such  like  rudiments 
of  education.  All  these  may  be  taught,  if  kind  and  proper 
treatment  be  applied,  in  a  very  short  time ;  but  it  must  not 
be  expected  that  a  young  dog  can  find  his  game  like  one 
experienced,  or  act  generally  as  if  schooled  by  the  practice 
of  mnny  succeeding  seasons. 

If  you  wish  to  find  game  and  enjoy  your  sport,  I  advise 
your  hunting  with  old  dogs.  They  give  no  trouble  ;  your 
temper  is  not  tried  ;  and  they  are  up  to  every  artful  manoeuvre. 
Game  cannot  beat  them  in  cunning,  as  they  are  more  than  a 
match  for  it:  and  whatever  can  be  done,  they  are  equal  to. 

From  what  I  have  already  said,  it  will  be  known  that  I 
am  no  advocate  for  the  lash.  On  the  contrary,  I  deem  it  the 
greatest  and  most  abominably  abused  corrective  ;  and  yet  it 
is  necessary  to  apply  it  occasionally.  It  is  the  abuse,  and 
not  the  use,  that  I  complain  of.  Rare,  indeed,  is  the  dog 
that  never  requires  the  smart  from  the  thong;  and  the  greater 
number  merit  the  taste  often  :  but  still  let  mercy  temper  every 
stripe.  I  say  not  this  from  any  morbid  or  sickly  profession 
of  being  more  humane  than  the  generality  of  my  fellow 
sportsmen  ;  but  from  a  conviction  that,  the  less  of  severe 
punishment  that  is  given  to  a  dog,  the  less  obstinate,  hard- 
ened, and  refractory  he  will  be.  Making  him  crouch  at 
your  feet,  by  rating  and  giving  a  few  good  pulls  of  the  ear, 
is  a  mode  that  I  have  adopted,  and  recommend  as  a  judi- 
cious and  effective  one. 

Besides  the  barbarity  of  inflicting  violent  and  unnecessary 
punishment,  and  the  ill  effects  it  is  sure  to  produce  in  the 
animal,  flogging  a  strong  dog  is  a  task  which  requires  much 
personal  exertion,  in  holding  him  for  the  administration  ; 
and,  if  attempted  by  yourself,  will  put  your  nerves  in  a 


POINTERS  AND  SETTERS.  251 

tremble,  and  be  very  likely  to  spoil  your  shooting  for  a  con- 
siderable time.  When  however,  it  is  expedient  to  flog  him, 
place  his  head  between  your  knees,  and  whip  the  after  parts 
of  his  body.  In  this  posture  he  cannot  bite  ;  and  must 
receive  all  awarded  to  him,  without  being  able  to  escape 
from  the  "  whipping  post." 

A  dog  that  will  not  hunt  is  like  a  horse  that  is  led  to  the 
pond  and  refuses  to  drink:  it  is  impossible  to  force,  either  to 
perform  the  desired  action.  With  regard  to  the  dog,  when, 
from  any  cause  whatever,  he  declines  to  range,  he  should  be 
cheered  and  encouraged,  and  not  rated  or  flogged.  It  is 
trying  to  the  patience,  to  find  a  dog  skulking,  perhaps,  at 
your  heels,  when  you  are  in  want  of  his  labour :  but  matters 
will  only  be  rendered  worse,  by  your  exhibiting  your  loss  of 
temper.  Caress  him;  and,  if  that  will  not  do,  cheer  the 
others  in  his  company,  which  is  likely  to  spur  up  his 
jealousy;  and,  if  this  prove  a  failure,  leave  him  entirely  to 
himself  until  the  equanimity  of  his  temper  be  restored. 

Instead  of  puzzles,  cheek-collars,  and  things  of  this  kind, 
which  render  dogs  miserable  in  the  work  which  they  should 
enjoy,  let  a  dog,  when  "  too  full  of  hunt,"  wild,  and  eager, 
have  a  more  than  usual  share  of  labour  with  a  steady  com- 
panion. There  is  nothing  belter  for  young  dogs  than  their 
being  hunted  with  old  ones.  Continued  work  will  bring 
down  their  too  ardent  spirits;  and,  for  animals  of  this  kind, 
nothing  else  will  prove  really  beneficial. 

When  a  young  dog  points  at  larks  and  other  kinds  of 
small  birds,  care  should  be  taken  to  get  him  off  them  by 
mild  measures.  INo  violence  of  any  description  must  be 
used;  otherwise  he  may  very  likely  be  rendered  so  timid 
that  he  will  be  frightened  to  make  his  points  at  all.  To  kill 
plenty  of  game  over  him,  and  "  cautioning,"  will  be  certain 
to  teach  him  to  avoid  these  minor  errors. 

22* 


252  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

For  chasing  hares  and  rabbits,  there  is  no  method  but 
rating  severely,  and  a  recourse  to  the  whip;  which  should 
be  given  in  accordance  with  the  disposition  of  the  dog  and 
the  repeated  commission  of  the  offence.  A  severe  flogging 
is  often  indispensable  for  this  fault ;  but  there  is  a  great  dis- 
tinction between  just  severity  and  cruelty. 

However  well  bred  and  well  trained  your  dogs  may  be, 
if  they  are  kept  in  their  kennel  continually,  and  are  strangers 
to  you,  do  not  anticipate  their  work  being  such  as  it  would 
be,  if  they  had  plenty  of  liberty,  and  were  your  companions 
in  your  walks  and  rambles.  If  they  are  attached  to  you,  it 
is  their  natural  and  generous  wish  to  exert  their  powers  to 
please ;  and  they  will  fear  your  displeasure  much  more  than 
the  lash  in  the  hand  of  one  unknown  or  uncared  for. 

The  Setter  was  originally  produced  by  a  cross  between 
the  Spanish  pointer  and  the  large  water  spaniel.  His  treat- 
ment in  the  kennel  and  in  the  field  should  be  the  same  as 
that  directed  for  the  pointer. 

Where  there  is  plenty  of  water  in  which  he  can  go  and 
refresh  himself,  the  setter  is,  in  my  opinion,  preferable  to  the 
pointer:  but  unless  he  can  get  these  baths  frequently,  in  hot 
weather,  he  cannot  stand  the  work  nearly  so  well  as  the 
latter.  He  is  not  so  likely  to  become  foot-sore  as  the 
pointer,  from  his  feet  being  protected  by  the  hair  growing 
between  his  toes;  and  he  can  bear  greater  labour  with  less 
fatigue. 

I  should  observe,  however,  that  there  is  generally  more 
trouble  in  breaking  the  setter  than  the  pointer,  and  he  sooner 
forgets  his  lessons ;  so  that  at  the  end  of  a  season  you  may 
be  flattered  with  the  belief  that  he  is  all  that  you  could  wish 
him  to  be,  and  the  next  discover  sad  forget  fulness  of  his 
lessons. 

Unless  in  driving  a  thick  covert,  or  threading  hedgerows, 


SPANIELS  AND  RETRIEVERS.  253 

spaniels  are  generally  so  headstrong,  that  they  prevent  a 
great  many  more  shots  than  they  give.  At  the  same  time, 
if  they  are  well  broken  to  keep  within  gun-shot,  and  to  come 
to  heel  when  called,  there  are  no  such  dogs  for  pheasants, 
woodcocks,  and  snipes.  These  are  the  two  essential  quali- 
ties in  spaniels ;  and,  although  to  "down  charge"  is  a  third 
admirable  accomplishment,  yet  it  is  not  necessary,  if  they 
will  "come  in  "  readily  to  the  order. 

Kindness  is  quite  out  of  the  pale  of  possibility,  in  break- 
ing the  spaniel.  Nothing  will  do  but  severity :  but  the 
younger  they  are  taken  in  hand,  the  less  of  this  will  be 
required. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  say  much  about  Retrievers, 
as  any  dog  can  be  taught  to  fetch  game :  but  as  small  dogs 
cannot  bring  hares  through  a  thick  covert,  and  are  apt  to 
"  mouth  "  birds,  particularly  pheasants,  in  making  the  at- 
tempt, it  is  better  to  assign  this  office  to  a  large  and  power- 
ful animal.  A  Newfoundland  dog  makes  the  best  retriever; 
as  he  entertains  a  fondness  for  this  kind  of  employment,  and 
his  thick  coat  enables  him  to  crash  through  any  kind  of 
thicket;  his  strength,  to  bring  any  kind  of  game;  and  he 
cares  no  more  about  dashing  into  the  stream,  in  the  depth 
of  winter,  to  recover  a  duck,  than  through  a  furze  brake,  to 
pick  up  a  rabbit. 


254  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


HOW  TO  ADMINISTER  MEDICINE  TO  DOGS. COMMON  DISEASES, 

PREVENTIVES,  AND  TREATMENT* 

IT  frequently  happens  thai  dogs,  like  horses,  are  afflicted 
with  disorders  which  a  plain  and  easy  treatment  will  get 
rid  of.  If,  however,  a  valuable  animal  be  seized  with  any 
disorder  which  does  not  readily  yield  to  the  management  of 
the  "  unprofessional,"  I  advise  the  calling  in  the  aid  of  the 
regular  practitioner.  It  is  poor  economy  to  save  five  shil- 
lings, and  to  lose  as  many,  or  five  times  as  many,  pounds. 
In  gleaning  the  following  prescriptions,  I  recommend  their 
application  only  in  simple  cases. 

How  to  administer  medicines  to  Dogs. 

Place  the  dog  upright  on  his  hind  legs,  between  the  knees 
of  a  seated  person,  with  his  back  inwards:  a  very  small  dog 
may  be  taken  altogether  into  the  lap:  place  a  napkin  round 
his  shoulders,  bringing  it  forward  over  the  fore  legs,  by 
which  he  may  be  secured  from  resisting.  The  mouth  being 
now  forced  open,  by  the  pressure  of  the  fore  finger  and 
thumb  upon  the  lip  of  the  upper  jaw,  the  medicine  may  be 
conveniently  introduced  with  the  other  hand,  and  passed 
sufficiently  far  into  the  throat  to  ensure  its  not  being  re- 
turned. The  mouth  must  now  be  closed,  and  kept  so  till 


DISEASES  OF  DOGS,  AND  TREATMENT.  255 

the  medicine  is  seen  to  pass  down.  When  the  animal  is 
too  strong  to  be  managed  by  one  person,  an  assistant  is 
requisite  to  hold  open  the  mouth  ;  which,  if  the  dog  is  very 
refractory,  is  best  effected  by  a  strong  piece  of  tape  applied 
behind  the  holders,  or  fangs  of  each  jaw.  A  ball  or  bolus 
must  be  passed  completely  over  the  root  of  the  tongue,  and 
dexterously  pushed  some  way  backwards  and  downwards. 
When  a  liquid  is  given,  if  the  quantity  is  more  than  can  be 
swallowed  at  once,  it  must  be  removed  from  the  mouth  each 
deglutition,  or  the  dog  may  be  strangled,  The  head  should 
be  completely  secured,  and  a  little  elevated,  to  prevent  the 
liquid  from  running  out.  Soft  or  nauseous  balls  should  be 
wrapped  in  thin  paper.  Tasteless  medicines,  calomel,  &c., 
or  purging  salts,  may  be  frequently  given  in  food, 

The  Distemper  in  Dogs. 

Changes  in  the  atmosphere,  low  keep,  and  neglect,  are 
among  the  principal  causes  of  this  disease.  The  following  are 
the  usual  symptoms  of  this  malady  in  young  dogs :  sudden 
loss  of  spirit,  of^activity,  and  appetite ;  drowsiness,  dullness 
of  the  eyes,  and  lying  at  length  with  the  nose  to  the  ground  ; 
coldness  of  the  extremities,  of  the  ears,  and  legs  ;  with  heat 
of  the  head  and  body,  sometimes  nearly  scorching ;  sudden 
emaciation  and  excessive  weakness,  particularly  in  the 
hinder  quarters,  which  begin  to  sink  and  drag  after  the  ann 
mal ;  the  flanks  pinched  in  ;  an  apparent  tendency  to  evacu- 
ate from  the  bowels  a  little  at  a  time  ;  sometimes  vomiting ; 
the  eyes  and  nose  are  often,  but  not  always,  affected  with  a 
discharge.  In  an  advanced  stage  of  the  distemper,  spasmo- 
dic and  convulsive  twitchings  will  be  perceived  ;  with  gid- 
diness, turning  round,  foaming  at  the  mouth,  and  fits,  which 
would  probably  terminate  in  madness.  In  this  stage  of  the 
disease,  recourse  must  be  had  to  professional  aid,  or  the  ani- 


256  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

inal  be  put  out  of  existence,*  In  distemper,  the  dog  will 
probably  refuse  food  for  some  days  ;  and  should  be  supplied 
with  warm  milk  and  water,  broth,  gruel,  or  whey  ;  he  should 
also  be  taken  out  into  the  air ;  his  bed  should  be  warm  and 
dry;  and,  in  cold  weather,  he  should  be  permitted  to  lie  by 
the  fire,  in  a  moderate  degree  of  heat.  Mild  doses,  of  from 
two  to  three  grains  of  calomel,  should  be  given  daily  in  milk, 
for  four  or  five  days,  with  intermissions :  this  will  reduce  the 
fever,  and  bring  the  bowels  to  their  natural  state.  James's 
powder  is  generally  a  certain  remedy  ;  or  antimonial  powder 
and  calomel  ;  three  parts  of  the  former  and  one  of  the  latter 
may  be  given,  from  eight  to  fifteen  grains,  with  the  same  ef- 
fect. It  should  be  made  into  balls  about  the  size  of  a  hazel- 
nut,  with  treacle  or  honey,  and  flour  ;  and  rubbed  over  slightly 
with  fresh  butter  or  lard.  A  table-spoonful  or  two  of  castor  oil 
may  be  given  occasionally,  sometimes  a  tea-spoonful  of  pow- 
dered rhubarb,  with  two  or  three  grains  of  calomel,  have  been 
highly  useful.  Mercury  or  antimony  should  be  first  given  in 
very  small  quantities;  increasing  the  dose  according  to  the  na- 
ture of  the  case  and  the  constitution  of  the  patient.  Dr.  Elaine's 
distemper  remedy,  with  which  directions  are  sold  will  be  found 
highly  beneficial.  To  recover  the  dog  from  the  debility  left 
by  distemper  and  the  remedies  necessarily  given  to  cure  it, 
light  flesh  meat,  and  rich  broths  of  beef  or  neat's  feet,  and 
milk  broth  with  rice,  should  be  given  :  balls  of  slacked-boiled 
beef  bruised  to  a  pulp  in  a  mortar,  are  very  nourishing. 
Beer  cordial,  with  ginger,  moderately  sweetened,  is  very  useful. 
Strengthening  medicines  generally  given  are, — from  twelve  to 
forty  drops  of  laudanum  in  a  glass  of  port  or  good  beer,  or  in 
a  large  table-spoonful  of  friar's  balsam  ;  and  four  tea-spoon- 
fuls of  water,  given  once  or  twice  a-day  for  a  week.  Bark 
and  port  wine  have  been  found  highly  useful ;  from  one  to 

I  had  a  pointer  so  afflicted  in  1844,  and  was  compelled  to  kill  him  after 
having  been  very  nearly  bitten. 


DISEASES  OF  DOGS,  AND  TREAMENT.  257 

two  drachms  of  bark  given  at  a  time.  These  medicines 
should  not  be  given  till  the  bowels  have  been  cleared  and 
the  fever  reduced.  During  the  disease,  the  discharge  from 
the  nose  and  eyes  should  be  wiped  away  as  often  as  pos- 
sible, and  the  bed  kept  dry  and  clean.  When  taken  out 
for  air,  the  dog  should  be  encouraged  to  eat  grass,  and  to  lap 
junning  water. 

When  a  vomit  is  necessary  in  distemper,  or  any  other  dis- 
ease, a  tea-spoonful  or  a  table-spoonful  of  common  salt  in  "a 
tea-cupful  of  warm  water,  will  produce  one  ;  or  tarter  emetic 
may  be  given,  from  one  to  four  grains. 

Another  Way  to  cure  the  Distemper. 

Give  from  four  to  seven  grains  of  turbith  mineral,  in  boiled 
liver,  shredded  fine  ;  this  is  to  be  repeated.  Put  a  seton 
behind  each  ear,  to  prevent  its  seizing  the  cap  of  the  brain  ; 
give  him  plenty  of  warm  broth,  and  keep  him  dry.  If  the 
inside  of  the  tuel  should  make  an  external  appearance,  which 
often  happens  at  two  or  three  months  old  ;  boil  one  ounce  of 
log- wood,  cut  small,  in  a  quart  of  milk,  till  it  is  reduced  to 
one-fourth  ;  strain  it  off;  and  give  a  tea-cupful  every  morn- 
ing till  it  disappears  ;  or  two  ounces  of  dragon's  blood  pul- 
verized, and  a  piece  of  alum  the  size  of  a  walnut,  boiled  in 
three  pints  of  skimmed  milk,  till  reduced  to  a  quart.  A  tea- 
cupful  of  this  to  be  given  every  day. 

Worms. 

When  dogs  are  subject  to  these,  their  coats  will  stand  up  and 
their  appetite  be  excessive,  without  producing  any  improve- 
ment in  the  appearance  of  the  animal ;  the  belly  will  be  hard, 
and  sometimes  swollen,  accompanied  by  a  short  husky  cough. 
A  purge,  of  the  usual  quantity  of  fine  aloes,  with  from  two  to 
eight  grains  of  calomel,  should  be  given  them  ;  and  two  or 


258  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

three  days  after,  begin  a  regular  course  of  worm  medicines. 
Take  the  finest  tin  filings,  two  drachms ;  cowhage  half  a 
drachm  ;  calomel,  fourteen  grains  ;  to  make  four,  six,  or  eight 
balls,  according  to  the  size  and  strength  of  the  dog;  give  one 
every  morning  for  a  fortnight,  with  occasional  omissions  if 
necessary :  let  the  dog's  food  and  lodging  be  good  in  the  in- 
terim. One  or  two  large  spoonfuls  of  linseed  oil,  with  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  oil  of  turpenrine,  given  every  morning,  fasting 
for  a  week,  will  sometimes  effect  a  cure.  Or  give  walnut 
leaves  in  boiled  milk. 

Swelled  Seats. 

Rub  with  a  pomade,  composed  of  camphorated  spirit,  or 
brandy,  and  goose  grease,  two  or  three  times  a-day. 

Torn  Ears. 

Ears  torn  by  the  hedges,  or  by  other  means,  may  be  touched 
with  laudanum  and  brandy,  and  alternately  with  oil. 

For  a  Strain. 

One  ounce  of  spirits  of  turpentine,  half  a  pint  of  old  beer, 
and  half  a  pint  of  brine.  Bathe  the  part  affected,  and  repeat 
it  if  required  ;  or  one  ounce  of  sal-ammoniac,  and  one  pint 
of  vinegar :  keep  the  dog  quiet. 

When  swelling  arises  after  Bleeding, 
Apply  a  fomentation  of  camomile  flowers. 

For  a  Bruise  in  the  Joint. 
Oil  of  turpentine,  to  be  well  rubbed  in. 

For  a  Green  Wound. 
Hog's  lard,  turpentine,  and  bee's  wax,  equal  quantities, 


259 

dnd  a  quarter  as  much  verdigris:  these  all  simmered  over  a 
slow  fire  till  they  come  to  a  salve. 

When  a  Dog  is  Poisoned. 

Give  him  a  tea-cupful  of  castor  oil.  After  he  has  vomited 
well,  continue  pouring  olive  oil  down  his  thrdat,  and  rubbing 
his  belly. 

When  the  Distemper  hangs  in  a  Dog's  Kidneys. 

(jive  him  a  wine-glassful  of  antimonial  wine,  with  a  ted-1 
spoonful  of  spirits  of  turpentine  in  it;  which,  being  Occasion- 
ally repeated,  will  strengthen  him. 

When  a  Dog  looks  heavy  and  sleepy  in  Cold  Weather. 

Give  him  old  beer,  sugared,  and  toasted  bread  crumbled 
into  it.  To  be  taken  quite  warm* 

For  the  Canker  in  the  Teeth. 

In  cases  of  sufficient  importance,  rub  a  moist  tooth-brush 
on  a  piece  of  blue-stone  vitriol,  or  burnt  alum ;  and  rub  the 
teeth  well ;  which,  on  a  repetition,  will  eat  it  off. 

To  cure  a  Dog  of  the,  Mange,  without  scent. 

Dissolve  a  quarter  of  an  ounce  of  sublimate  in  one  ounce  of 
spirit  of  salts  ;  boil  it  in  a  quart  of  water,  and  wash  the  parts 
affected.  Muzzle  the  dog.  This  repeated  will  effect  a  cure. 

To  prevent  Hydrophobia,  or  canine  Madness. 

As  soon  as  possible  after  the  bite  is  received,  well  wash 
the  part ;  apply  salt,  squeeze  the  incision,  and  bind  as  much 
salt  on  it  as  you   can,   stopping  the  circulation   above  it. 
Keep  the  dog  tied  tip. 
23 


260  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

Wounds. 

Friar's  balsam  is  an  excellent  application  for  a  fresh  wound  ; 
or  a  spoonful  of  brandy  and  a  few  drops  of  laudanum  may  be 
applied.  Thorns  and  splinters  must  be  carefully  got  out,  and 
either  of  the  above  applied  immediately.  A  poultice  of  black 
pitch  plaster  is  the  best  application  to  extract  thorns.  Tincture 
of  myrrh,  or  aloes,  is  sometimes  preferable  to  friar's  balsam 
for  a  wound  in  its  early  stage,  as  the  latter  generally  closes 
the  wound  too  soon. 

• 
Sore  Feet. 

Butter-milk,  greasy  pot-liquor,  or  water  gruel,  are  the  best 
remedies  to  apply  to  dog's  feet  that  have  become  sore  from 
travelling,  or  the  hardness  of  the  ground.  Some  apply  brine  ; 
but  that  is  apt  to  inflame  them  if  used  before  the  feet  are  healed. 
The  dog  should  be  kept  at  home,  or  his  feet  be  wrapped  up 
till  they  are  healed ;  when  brine  and  vinegar  may  be  applied 
to  harden  them. 

Fleas. 

Constant  cleanliness  is  the  best  preventive.  Lather  the 
coat  well  all  over,  and  through  to  the  skin,  with  the  strongest 
soap  ;  adding  pearl  ash  if  necessary ;  taking  care  to  kill  all 
the  fleas  within  reach  ;  then  wash  clean.  This  a  few  times 
repeated,  will  exterminate  them. 

Or  one  ounce  of  pepper  boiled  in  a  quart  of  water,  is  a 
good  wash  to  rid  dogs  of  the  vermin  ;  but  scotch  snuff', 
steeped  in  gin,  is  infallible. 

When  a  Dog  strips  in  his  Feet. 
Wash  and  soak  them  well  in  bran  and  warm  water,  with 


DISEASES  OF  DOGS,  AND  TREATMENT.  261 

a  little  vinegar ;  then  apply  tincture  of  myrrh  ;  and  in  the 
morning,  previous  to  his  going  out,  anoint  them  with  a  little 
fresh  butter  or  sweet  oil.  Do  the  same  under  his  arms,  flanks, 
&c.  where  he  strips. 

Canker  in  the  Ear. 

A  mixture  of  soap  and  brandy  to  be  poured  into  the  ear 
and  well  rubbed  into  the  external  parts ;  it  may  be  diluted 
with  one  third  water,  if  necessary.  Particular  care  must  be 
taken  to  protect  the  dog's  eyes. 

Bilious  Complaints  in  Dogs. 

These  are  occasioned  by  high  living  and  want  of  exercise. 
The  best  remedy  is  a  good  dose  of  calomel ;  but,  in  obstinate 
cases,  a  strong  dog  may  take  turbith  mineral,  or  yellow  mer- 
cury, from  six  to  twelve  grains,  in  a  pill  or  ball. 

Purges. 

Rue,  beat  fine,  and  put  into  lard  or  butter  milk,  is  a  good 
purge. 

From  five  to  seven  grains  of  calomel,  is  a  good  purge  and 
purifier. 

But  the  best  purge  is  socotrine  or  fine  aloes  ;  from  half  a 
drachm  to  a  drachm,  for  a  small  dog;  and  two  or  three 
drachms,  for  a  full-sized  hound  :  enclose  the  powder  in  a  ball 
of  flour  and  lard  or  butter. 

For  an  old  Wound  or  Sore. 

Hog's  lard  and  honey,  of  each  half  a  pound;  turpentine, 
a  quarter  of  a  pound  ;  pulverized  verdegris,  two  ounces;  let 
them  be  simmered  over  a  slow  fire,  and  the  ointment  be  ap- 
plied hot.  Five  grains  of  calomel  should  be  given  occasion- 
ally, in  the  form  of  a  bolus. 


262 

When  a  Dog  staggers,  or  falls  down  in  a  Fit. 

This  generally  happens  in  hot  weather.  If  there  is  water 
at  hand,  throw  him  into  it;  or  he  may  be  let  blood  in  the 
mouth,  by  passing  a  knife  or  fleam  across  two  or  three  bars 
next  the  teeth.  This,  however,  will  never  happen,  if  the 
blood  be  kept  in  a  proper  state. 

To  cure  the  external  Canker  in  the  Ear. 

Pulverize  a  piece  of  alum,  the  size  of  a  large  walnut; 
boil  it  in  half  a  pint  of  water ;  clean  the  scabs  of  the  ear ; 
and  apply  it  with  a  large  piece  of  sponge,  as  hot  as  possible  : 
hold  the  sponge  on  till  cool.  Repeat  it  two  or  three  times 
each  day,  till  the  canker  be  cured.  Butter  of  antimony, 
diluted  in  milk,  till  it  is  the  thickness  of  cream  will  cure  it. 

Or  half  an  ounce  of  red  precipitate  finely  levigated,  and 
made  into  an  ointment  with  two  ounces  of  hog's  lard. 

To  cure  the  internal  Canker  in  the  Ear. 

Put  a  seton  in  the  neck,  just  under  the  ear;  and  with  a 
piece  of  sponge  on  the  end  of  a  pliable  stick,  clean  out  the 
ear,  using  a  little  soft  soap.  When  it  is  quite  clean,  dip  the 
sponge  in  copperas  water,  and  pass  it  in,  turning  it  gently 
round.  To  make  the  copperas  water;  beat  a  piece  the  size 
of  a  large  nut,  and  put  into  an  ounce  phial  filled  with  spring 
water:  shake  it  well,  when  you  are  going  to  use  it.  Make 
the  seton  with  horse  hair  and  tow,  cased  with  hog's  lard  : 
pass  it  through  with  a  red-hot  iron  ;  tie  a  piece  of  silk  to  each 
end  to  move  it. 

For  Films  over  the  Eyes,  Clouds,  fyc. 

Pulverize  a  piece  of  blue-stone  vitriol,  the  size  of  a  pea ; 
put  it  into  an  ounce  phial  filled  with  spring  water ;  wash  the 


DISEASES    OF    DOGS,    AND    TREATMENT.  263 

eyes  with  it,  letting  a  little  pass  in.  This  repeated  will 
effect  a  cure ;  or  a  little  scuttlebone  blown  into  the  eye  every 
other  morning. 

Rheumatism  in  Dogs. 

May  be  discovered  by  its  local  affection,  and  sometimes  by 
a  swelling  in  the  neck,  loins,  or  legs.  Oppose  the  first 
attack ;  and  never  suffer  an  animal  to  go  into  the  field,  when 
affected  with  the  disease,  or  with  a  cold.  Warm  lodging, 
and  two  or  three  day's  indulgence  near  a  good  fire,  with  a 
dose  or  two  of  calomel,  will  generally  cure  a  first  attack. 
Also,  a  warm  bath  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour;  the  dog  being 
afterwards  rubbed  dry,  and  put  to  bed  warm  :  which  may  be 
frequently  repeated  if  necessary.  To  raise  a  perspiration, 
give  forty  or  fifty  drops  of  laudanum,  and  two  tea-spoonfuls 
of  spirit  of  ammonia,  or  hartshorn,  in  warm  beer,  or  cordial. 
Rub  the  parts  affected,  two  or  three  times  a-day  with  the 
following  mixture  :  Oil  of  turpentine,  two  ounces  ;  spirit  of 
hartshorn,  two  ounces  ;  laudanum,  two  drachms  ;  sweet  oil, 
two  ounces :  the  whole  to  be  well  mixed  together. 

To  make  a  Dog  fine  in  his  shin. 

Give  him   a  table-spoonful  of  tar,  in  oatmeal,  made  into 
a  ball. 

When  a  dog  is  seized  with  a  Hovering  in  the  Lights, 

Give  him  half  a  drachm  of  asafcetida,  every  other  night, 
well  mixed  in  lard  or  butter. 

/       To  cure  the  Red  Taint  or  Mange. 

Anoint  with  black  sulpher,  train-oil,  and  a  little  tar;  give 
him  internally  half  an  ounce  of  sulpher  and  a  quarter  of  an 

23* 


264 

ounce  of  liver  of  antimony,  in  lard  or  honey.     The  latter  is 
the  best. 

Mange, 

Is  generally  occasioned  by  neglect,  or  want  of  cleanliness  ; 
and  not  unfrequently  from  the  want  of  a  sufficiency  of  nou- 
rishing food.  In  this  case,  external  applications,  and  nou- 
rishing food,  are  the  best  remedies.  If  it  arise  from  repletion 
or  surfeit,  calomel  and  the  most  powerful  alteratives,  are 
required.  Then  take  ^Ethiop's  mineral,  one  ounce :  cream 
of  tartar,  one  ounce;  nitre,  two  drachms:  divide  the  whole, 
when  mixed,  into  sixteen,  twenty,  or  twenty-four  doses  ac_ 
cording  to  the  size  of  the  dog,  and  give  one  dose  every  morn- 
ing and  evening.  But,  when  weakness  or  poor  living  oc- 
casions this  disorder,  sulphur  in  the  dog's  drink  will  be 
sufficient;  with  an  occasional  purge,  should  it  be  necessary, 
of  an  ounce  or  upwards  of  salts,  or  two  or  three  spoonfuls 
of  salts,  or  two  or  three  spoonfuls  of  syrup  of  buckthorn; 
rubbing  them  with  a  mercurial  unction.  Care  must  be  taken 
not  to  salivate  the  animal ;  and  he  must  not  be  permitted  to 
lick  himself,  or  to  catch  cold ;  either  of  which  may  be  fatal. 
In  a  slight  case,  brimstone  and  hog's  lard  may  effect  a 
cure.  Or  you  may  apply  the  following:  roll  brimstone 
powdered,  four  ounces;  powdered  fox-glove,  two  ounces; 
sal-ammoniac  powdered,  half  an  ounce;  Barbadoes  aloes,  one 
drachm  ;  turpentine,  half  an  ounce ;  lard,  six  or  eight  ounces ; 
mix  them.  Ointments  are  too  apt  to  be  smeared  over 
the  hair,  without  being  applied  to  the  skin.  It  requires  at 
least  two  hours  to  dress  a  dog  thoroughly:  the  hair  should 
be  parted  almost  hair  by  hair;  and  a  small  quantity  of  oint- 
ment should  be  rubbed  actually  on  the  skin,  between  the 
parted  hairs,  by  the  means  of  the  end  of  the  finger.  After 
every  part  is  done,  the  hair  may  be  smoothed  down;  and  if  the 


DISEASES  OF  DOGS,  AND  TREATMENT.  265 

operation  has  been  neatly  performed,  the  dog  will  scarcely 
show  any  marks  of  it.  After  three  or  four  such  dressings 
with  the  last  named  ointment,  the  dog  may  be  washed  with 
soft-soap  and  water,  and  the  ointment  again  applied  when 
dry:  which  is  to  be  repeated  till  the  cure  be  complete. 

The  dog  must  be  kept  muzzled,  and  be  warmly  lodged, 
and  carefully  kept  from  taking  cold  during  this  operation. 
The  same  ointment  may  also  be  applied  to  eruptions,  or 
canker  in  the  ear. 

To  destroy  Worms. 

Take  from  ten  to  thirty  grains  of  calomel,  in  a  paste  ball 
made  with  butter  and  flour;  and  the  next  morning  two 
drachms  of  socotrine  aloes  in  butter. 


266  THK  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

PRESERVATION  AND  REARING  OF  GAME. DESTROYING 

VERMIN,  &C. 

THE  true  sportsman  directs  his  attention  not  only  to  the 
killing  of  game,  but  also  to  its  preservation.  In  my  opinion, 
the  quantity  of  game  on  a  manor  should  be  regulated  by 
what  it  will  reasonably  bear,  from  its  quality,  size,  and  de- 
scription of  coverts.  When  game  is  too  thick,  it  is  far  from 
being  conducive  to  sport;  and  it  not  only  is  a  serious  injury 
and  nuisance  to  the  farmer,  but  offers  a  powerful  inducement 
to  poaching,  with  many  who  otherwise  would  not  think  of 
so  transgressing  the  law.  There  is  a  great  difference  be- 
tween "  good  shooting  "  and  "  wholesale  slaughter."  I  can- 
not think  what  pleasure  can  be  derived  from  preserving  such 
inordinate  quantities  of  game  as  many  noblemen  and  gentle- 
men do.  Killing  such  game  is  as  tame,  unexciting,  easy 
work,  as  cutting  the  throats  of  barn-door  poultry. 

To  have  a  thin  and  scanty  supply  is,  however,  as  objec- 
tionable an  opposite,  and,  in  the  estimation  of  many,  a  great 
deal  worse.  The  happy  medium  is  best. 

I  will  take  for  granted  that  there  is  sufficient  game  on  the 
manor  to  breed  by  ;  for  unless  we  have  the  straw,  we  cannot 
have  the  ear.  First  among  the  very  rudiments  of  the  preserva- 
tion of  game,  stands  "  quietude."  Unless  game  has  rest,  it 
will  not  remain,  and  ca?wot  increase.  Quiet  should  therefore 


PRESERVATION  OF  GAME.  267 

be  the  paramount  consideration  with  all  preservers.  I  have 
known  gentlemen  permit  their  keepers  to  pass  continually,  or 
as  they  thought  proper,  through  their  coverts,  with  dogs  at 
their  heels  and  guns  in  their  hands.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
baneful  inroads  on  the  repose  and  quietude  of  "  the  denizens 
of  the  wild."  Besides,  I  am  very  suspicious  of  the  professed 
honesty  of  these  kind  of  servants  ;  and,  although  I  entertain 
but  little  doubt  that  there  may  be  as  much  virtue  in  game- 
keepers as  there  is  in  butlers,  I  would  no  more  allow  the 
former  to  have  the  absolute  control  over  my  manor  than  the 
latter  over  my  cellar. 

As  regards  the  covert,  all  gaps  should  be  well  stopped  on 
the  boundery,  and  no  "  creeps"  permitted  to  become  in  con- 
stant use.  It  may  be  gaid,  "  Then  how  are  the  hares  to  get 
in  and  out?"  They  must  get  out,  and  they  will  get  in. 
What  I  am  referring  to  is — not  to  allow  "  a  creep  "  to  be  so 
continually  used  as  to  make  it  the  place  of  ingress  and  egress 
of  two-thirds  of  the  game  making  the  covert  their  home. 
A  well-used  "  creep"  is  the  spot  that  the  poacher  selects 
for  his  wire  or  gin. 

It  is  pretty  well  known  by  poachers  and  game-keepers, 
bnt  not  so  well  by  gentlemen,  that  the  common  gin  is  more 
generally  used  for  the  secret  destruction  of  game  than  any 
other  engine.  In  the  present  day,  more  hares  and  phea- 
sants are  killed  by  this  instrument  than  by  snares,  gate-nets, 
and  all  the  other  means  in  vogue. 

Nothing,  in  truth,  can  be  more  simple.  The  eye, — and 
it  requires  no  skilful  one, — discovers  the  locality  frequented 
by  game;  the  trap  is  set, — than  which  nothing  can  be  more 
easy  and  expeditious ;  and  the  victims  caught. 

There  is  no  great  difficulty  in  drawing  a  conclusion,  when 
a  gin  is  discovered  set,  concerning  the  purpose  for  which  it 
was  placed.  I  have  seen  gins  apparently  baited  for  vermin; 


268  THE  SPORTSMAN7'S  LIBRARY. 

when  I  have  known,  as  well  as  those  who  set  them,  that  they 
were  placed  there  for  a  very  different  object.  If  a  gin  be 
"tilled,"  as  it  is  called  in  the  West  of  England,  among  thick 
gores  or  furze,  where  there  is  evidence  of  pheasants  frequent- 
ing and  no  runs  or  small  creeps,  which  vermin  always 
make,  you  may  be  certain  of  the  why  and  the  what  that  it 
was  placed  there  for.  On  the  verge  of  a  covert,  in  creeps, 
in  and  near  feeding  ground,  your  judgment  may  be  exer- 
cised as  to  the  true  cause  for  the  setting  of  gins.  Let  your 
keeper  know  that  you  are  as  well  versed  in  the  "  arlful  move- 
ments" as  he  is. 

As  a  preventive  to  trespassers  entering  your  coverts  for 
any  purpose  whatsoever, — from  the  poacher  down  to  the 
picker  of  sticks,  and  the  gatherer  of  nuts  and  acorns, — I 
know  of  nothing  so  effective  as  dog  spears.  If  it  be  known 
that  there  are  these  passive  instilments  of  annoyance  planted 
in  the  coverts,  self-hunting  quadrupeds  will  be  kept  at  home 
securely  tethered,  and  interloping  bipeds  of  every  kind  be 
extremely  reluctant  to  run  the  risk  of  spearing  their  legs. 

I  am  a  great  admirer  of  preventives,  and  I  was  told  by  a 
convicted  poacher,  that  he  "  dreaded  to  enter  coverts  where- 
in he  knew  there  were  dog  spears,  far  more  than  others  where 
his  only  danger  was  being  captured." 

All  the  spears  should  be  numbered ;  so  that  there  may  be 
no  mistake  whatever  in  taking  the  whole  of  them  up,  when 
there  is  the  smallest  probability  of  hounds  getting  into  the 
covert,  or  beating  it  in  any  way  for  game.  Mischief  will  be 
very  likely  to  accrue,  from  neglecting  a  solitary  spear. 

To  keep  pheasants  at  home,  it  is  necessary  to  feed  them  at 
that  season  of  the  year  when  they  cannot  obtain  sufficient 
corn  and  berries.  Nothing  is  more  pleasing  to  their  appetites 
than  buck- wheat.  To  grow  it  on  the  verge  of  the  coverts  is 
a  very  good  method  to  prevent  their  roaming.  To  stack  a 


PRESERVATION    OF    GAME.  269 

little  corn  in  the  straw,  in  the  depths  of  the  woods,  is  another 
good  plan  ;  although  open  to  objections  from  the  crows,  jack- 
daws, &c.,  getting  a  pull  now  and  then.  My  reply  to  this, 
however,  is — kill  them. 

Early  in  October,  or  just  before  it,  when  pheasants  are 
poached  for  market,  you  can  learn  to  a  certainty  whether  your 
coverts  have  been  infringed  upon,  by  running  long  pieces  of 
cotton  through  them,  tied  to  the  low  boughs  of  trees  or  under- 
wood. If  broken,  you  may  know  that  the  foot  of  the  unwel- 
come stranger  has  been  there.  It  is  true  that  the  mischief  is 
done  ;  and  what  is  done  cannot  be  undone  :  but  there  is  some 
satisfaction  in  knowing  the  worst  occasionally ;  and  always 
in  the  conviction  that  no  harm  has  been  effected. 

A  great  many  partridges'  nests  are  destroyed,  by  being  cut 
out  of  the  clover  and  grass.  It  is  better  to  prevent  their  lay- 
ing in  these  localities,  by  running  a  spaniel  through  them, 
both  in  the  morning  and  in  the  evening;  and,  by  thus  con- 
tinually disturbing  them,  oblige  them  to  seek  other  quarters. 

Rearing  Pheasants  and  Partridges  under  Domestic  Hens. 

Great  care  is  required  in  rearing  game  under  common  hens. 
When  a  nest  is  destroyed,  the  eggs  should  be  taken  and,  if 
set  upon,  kept  warm  until  a  setting  hen  can  be  got. 

I  do  not  recommend  the  purchasing  of  eggs  (a  system  of 
smuggling  which  encourages  the  poacher,)  any  more  than  I 
would  the  buying  of  foxes  from  a  country  where  the  foxhounds 
are  maintained.  But  we  know  that  these  things  have  been, 
are,  and  will  be  practised.  Occasionally,  too,  accidents  oc* 
cur  to  nests,  which  destroy  them ;  and  it  becomes  necessary 
to  place  the  abandoned  eggs  under  domestic  fowls,  to  secure 
the  hatching. 

The  duty  of  rearing  pheasants  and  partridges  under  hens, 


270  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

like  that  of  destroying  vermin,  is  one  more  directly  belong- 
ing to  the  keeper  than  to  the  sportsman.  Still,  I  as  have  not 
passed  over  the  one,  I  shall  not  neglect  the  other ;  knowing 
that  many  gentlemen  take  a  great  interest  in  having  a  few 
nides  and  coveys  on  their  lawns. 

Bantams  are  better  suited  for  hatching  game  than  the  com- 
mon hens.  Care  should  be  taken  to  render  the  bantams  so 
employed  as  tame  and  tractable  as  possible;  for,  the  more 
they  are  so,  the  more  will  the  little  chickens  also  be.  It  is  a 
common  practice  to  keep  the  hen  in  a  coop  with  a  frame 
covered  with  a  net,  until  the  young  ones  be  fit  to  be  turned 
off.  This  is  a  great  error,  and  one  of  the  principal  difficul- 
ties in  rearing  game  under  domestic  poultry.  It  is  so  directly 
opposed  to  their  nature  to  be  confined,  that,  in  this  state,  the 
greatest  care  bestowed  upon  them  is  rarely  sufficient  to  pre- 
vent numbers  from  dying,  which  otherwise  would  have  lived. 
The  better  system  to  adopt,  is,  to  keep  the  mother  cooped 
for  three  or  four  days,  until  the  chickens  get  strength  :  for 
she  will  "  hive  "  them  more  in  confinement  than  at  liberty  ; 
and  it  is  the  natural  warmth  they  require  at  first,  more  than 
any  kind  or  quantity  of  food.  The  mother  should  then 
be  allowed  to  range  with  her  brood  ;  as  grass  seed,  clover 
leaves,  grubs,  caterpillars,  flies,  worms,  and  insects  of  many 
kinds,  are  eagerly  sought  by  them,  and  form  their  natural 
food.  If  the  grass  be  very  wet,  from  heavy  dew  or  recent 
rain,  it  is  better  to  keep  the  hen  in  her  coop  until  it  become 
dryer;  more  particularly  if  she  be  inclined  to  rove  about :  but 
bantams  are  seldom  so  disposed.  There  is  no  necessity, 
however,  for  stopping  the  chickens  from  coming  out ;  as,  the 
moment  they  feel  chilleu  they  will  return  and  nestle  under 
their  mother.  The  coop  should  be  constructed  with  a  falling 
bar  or  door,  so  as  that  the  hen  may  be  driven  into  it  easily, 
of  an  evening;  which  she  should  be,  until  the  young  phea^ 


REARING  GAME.  271 

sants  are  inclined  to  roost  or  the  partridges  to  desert  her. 
Then  is  the  time  to  turn  them  off;  indeed,  if  not  prevented, 
they,  at  least  the  partridges,  will  take  that  trouble  off  your 
hands.  Pheasants  reared  near  a  house  surrounded  with  thick 
plantations,  generally  continue  near  and  about  it :  but  par- 
tridges never  do.  I  have  known  them,  however,  return  close 
to  the  spot  where  they  were  reared,  to  hatch  their  own 
young:  and  these  birds  have  a  peculiar  boldness  which  the 
wild  ones  do  not  possess.  I  have  known  them  attack  the 
legs  of  strangers,  in  the  same  manner  that  a  barn-door  hen 
will  an  intruder  upon  their  privacy ;  and  repeatedly  return  to 
the  charge  after  being  beaten  off.  This  may  read  as  having 
a  touch  of  the  marvellous  to  many ;  but  I  not  only  assert  the 
fact,  but  can  prove  it. 

The  food,  until  they  can  eat  gram  plentifully,  should  be 
given  often  and  in  small  quantities.  Chopped  hard  egg, 
white  bread  soaked  in  milk,  mixed  with  chopped  cives,  cab- 
bage and  lettuce,  will  be  found  good  food  for  them  in  their 
early  state.  Curd  is  very  good  by  way  of  a  change,  now 
and  then :  but  it  is  too  binding  to  be  given  frequently.  There 
is  nothing  better," perhaps  nothing  so  good,  as  ant's  egg  for 
them.  These  should  be  given  after  their  food,  as  an  excel- 
lent treat.  It  is  a  mistake,  however,  to  consider  that  ant's 
eggs  are  indispensable.  I  have  seven  pheasants  on  the 
lawn,  while  I  am  writing  this  page,  which,  as  far  as  I  know, 
never  saw  one :  and  they  are  reared  to  flyers.  Maggots  are 
a  famous  substitute;  and  are  more  conveniently  procured, 
in  many  parts  where  ant's  eggs  are  scarce,  by  hanging  up 
a  liver,  and  letting  them  fall  into  some  bran.  Artificial  ant's 
eggs  may  be  made,  by  beating  up  an  egg,  pounding  the 
shell  into  a  powder,  and  mixing  the  whole  into  a  paste 
with  some  flour.  Small  bits  may  then  be  taken  between 
the  thumb  and  finger,  and  rolled  into  the  size  and  shape 
24 


272  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

of  an  ant's  egg.  A  pinch  of  these,  occasionally,  will  be 
found  beneficial,  if  the  real  thing  cannot  be  procured :  but 
nothing  is  taken  with  such  avidity  as  the  eggs  themselves. 

Dross  wheat  should  be  given,  as  soon  as  they  can  eat  it; 
and  water  fresh  and  pure  should  be  put  where  they  can 
always  get  at  it:  notwithstanding  some  theories  to  the 
contrary. 

Pheasants  are  more  difficult  to  rear  than  partridges.  The 
latter  are  not  nearly  so  likely  to  become  afflicted  with,  what 
is  called  in  the  west  of  England,  "  the  gapes ;"  which  is  in 
fact,  the  pip;  a  complaint  causing  them  to  open  their  bills 
with  a  weezing  noise,  and  to  scour.  The  best  remedy  to 
apply  for  this  disease,  is  to  place  those  afflicted  in  a  bowl  or 
hat,  and,  covering  the  top  over  with  a  cloth,  to  smoke  them 
with  tobacco.  This  is  easily  managed  with  a  common 
pipe,  by  charging  it  in  the  usual  way,  and  blowing  the  va- 
pour through  the  tube,  by  pulling  a  tight  piece  of  rag  over 
the  bowl  of  the  pipe,  and  inserting  the  small  end,  or  part  that 
is  usually  placed  between  the  lips,  under  the  cloth.  I  will 
not  say  that  the  remedy  is  infallible:  but  I  have  seen  it 
tried  with  very  great  success.  This  may  be  repeated, 
occasionally,  until  the  cure  be  effected.  If  not  attended  to  as 
soon  as  taken, "  the  gapes "  will  quickly  cause  them  to 
gape  their  last:  and  by  far  the  greater  number  of  phea- 
sants, so  hatched,  have  them. 

A  southern  aspect  under  the  lea  of  a  wall  sheltering  from 
the  north  and  east  winds  should  be  chosen,  for  the  coop  to 
be  stationed  in.  But  if  warmth  be  essential  to  this  tender 
exotic  of  more  sunny  latitudes,  dryness  is  of  far  greater  con- 
sequence. The  mother  can  always  give  warmth ;  but  she 
cannot  prevent  the  dampness  arising  from  an  ill-chosen  spot 
for  her  family.  A  gentle  slope  on  a  short  piece  of  turf,  is  the 
most  desirable  spot  for  the  coop  to  be  placed  in ;  and  it 
should  not  admit  of  the  least  rain,  from  any  chink  or  crevice. 


REARING  GAME.  273 

With  proper  liberty  for  getting  their  natural  food,  and  ob- 
serving the  rules  laid  down  for  their  general  preservation, 
many  beautiful  birds  may  be  reared,  which  otherwise  would 
be  lost. 

Destruction  of  Vermin. 

The  destruction  of  vermin  is  exceedingly  important  for  the 
preservation  of  game.  Birds  of  prey,  such  as  hawks,  buz- 
zards, carrion  crows,  magpies,  &c.  are  better  destroyed  in  the 
breeding  season  than  at  any  other  time.  Find  out  their  nests, 
which  is  by  no  means  difficult ;  and  then,  when  the  hen  bird 
is  setting,  blow  up  the  family  establishment.  By  these  means 
you  will  be  certain  to  destroy  the  most  injurious  of  the  pair, 
the  hen  bird.  Eley's  cartridges  are  well  designed  for  this 
kind  of  business;  more  particularly  for  a  magpie's  nest,  which, 
being  thickly  lined  with  clay,  is  likely  to  resist  the  effects  of 
a  common  charge. 

A  piece  of  flesh  can  be  placed  in  such  a  position  that  you 
may  drop  upon  the  sanguinary  tribe  unawares,  when  feast- 
ing, and  then  administer  a  dose  of  powder  and  shot. 

Gins  can  be  baited  and  placed  on  the  trunks  of  trees  that 
they  frequent ;  and  flesh  poisoned  with  arsenic,  hung  up  for 
their  especial  use. 

I  need  not  point  out  the  danger  of  leaving  this  in  the  way 
of  dogs  ;  nor  the  necessity  of  placing  it  completely  out  of  their 
reach. 

For  pole-cats,  weazels,  stoats,  cats,  &c.  gins  are  the  best 
instruments  of  destruction.  These  should  be  set  in  and  about 
their  "  runs,"  and  baited  with  a  young  rabbit,  or  any  thing  of 
the  tempting  order.  The  gin  should  be  secreted  ;  and  the 
bait  fixed  above  it,  either  by  suspending  it  within  reach  of 
the  vermin  on  a  stick,  or  by  pegging  it  into  a  bank.  A  red 
herring  is  an  irresistible  tit-bit  for  a  cat. 


274 

Hutch-traps  are  preferable  to  gins,  in  one  particular ;  and 
that  is,  in  not  injuring  game  even  should  it  enter  them.  But  I 
have  found  vermin  reluctant  to  trust  themselves  within  these 
engines  designed  for  their  capture,  and,  consequently,  I  recom- 
mend the  use  of  gins.  Wherever  a  head  of  game  is  found 
killed  by  vermin,  a  gin  should  be  set,  as  "  the  varmint"  is 
sure  to  return  to  eat  more. 


GREYHOUNDS.  275 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

GREYHOUNDS,  THEIR  BREEDING  AND  TRAINING.  —  COURSING, 
AND  THE  LAWS  OF  COURSING. 

A  GREYHOUND,  to  be  symmetrical,  should  have  a  long 
neck,  deep  shoulders,  thin  withers,  broad  loins  and  back,  flat 
sides,  deep  gaskins,  thin  feet,  straight  legs,  short  from,  the 
hock,  and  have  a  small  delicately  shaped  head. 

As  in  the  breeding  of  every  kind  of  animal,  the  old  rule 
that  I  laid  down,  with  regard  to  the  horse,  applies  equally  to 
the  greyhound,  the  fleetest  and  most  elegant  of  all  the  canine 
species :  "  the  best  of  the  greyhound  goes  in  at  his  inouth." 
This  maxim  ought  never  to  be  out  of  the  memory  of  the 
breeder  of  all  finds  of  stock  ;  as  there  cannot  be  a  question 
that  if  the  colt  or  the  puppy,  or  whatever  it  may  be,  is  not 
worth  good  and  liberal  feeding,  he  most  decidedly  is  not 
worth  keeping.  Shooting  or  hanging  are  far  more  politic 
measures,  than  a  parsimonious  mode  of  treating  animals  in 
their  infancy. 

There  are  several  kinds  of  greyhounds.  The  Irish,  Rus- 
sian, (which  runs  also  by  scent,)  Turkish,  Italian,  &c.  but  I 
shall  treat  only  of  the  English,  as  they  are  those  commonly 
used  for  the  purposes  of  sporting. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  word  "  greyhound  "  is  a  cor- 
luption  from  "  gazehound."  The  animal  pursues  his  game 
by  "gazing"  or  viewing  it,  and  thus  it  was  originally  that 

24* 


276  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

he  acquired  his  name.  Why,  when,  or  by  whom,  it  was 
changed,  I  never  learned  :  but  the  alteration  is  far  from  being 
an  improvement,  in  my  opinion. 

To  have  good  puppies,  the  blood  of  the  sire  and  darn 
should  be  good  :  and  if  neither  are  aged,  so  much  the  better  ; 
but  the  bitch  should  never  be  old.  I  dislike  old  mothers  for 
any  breeding  purposes ;  although  the  other  extreme  is  equally 
objectionable.  I  recommend  that  no  bitch  be  warded  until 
after  the  close  of  her  third  season, 

Late  puppies  seldom  turn  out  well ;  the  earlier  they  are 
bred  in  the  year,  the  better.  As  it  is  impossible  to  form  a 
correct  judgment  upon  the  qualities  of  the  litter  until  time  has 
developed  them,  the  whole  should  be  saved  until  there  can 
be  no  doubt  as  to  which  are  to  be  selected  for  destruction. 
If  the  hasty  plan  of  choosing  them  soon  after  they  are  whelped 
be  adopted,  the  chances  are  greatly  in  favour  of  your  having 
some  of  your  best  puppies  killed. 

It  is  better,  if  practicable, — and  in  large  establishments  it 
always  is  so, — to  have  more  than  one  bitch  warded  at  the 
same  time.  In  the  event  of  there  being  a  small  litter  from 
each,  one  dam  can  suckle  them,  while  the  other  can  be  re- 
lieved of  the  pull  upon  her  strength  ;  and  the  trouble  of  attend- 
ing two  mothers  in  the  kennel  will  be  saved. 

Great  cleanliness  in  the  kennel,  ventilation,  fresh  water, 
and  exercise,  are  indispensable  to  the  thriving  of  young 
greyhounds.  Their  food  should  be  oatmeal,  milk,  (not  skim- 
med,) broth,  and  flesh.  If  barley-meal  be  given,  it  should 
be  done  sparingly,  and  mixed  with  the  oatmeal;  as  it  is 
heating,  and  not  so  nutricious  as  the  latter. 

In  addition  to  a  generous  regimen  and  extreme  cleanliness, 
exercise  is  of  the  greatest  importance.  The  less  that  puppies, 
and  indeed  all  dogs,  are  kept  closely  confined,  the  better. 
Freedom  gives  them  health,  strength,  and  courage  ;  and 


GREYHOUNDS.  277 

brings  their  feet  and  legs  into  condition.  It  also  gets  them 
forward  in  their  growth*  gives  elasticity  to  their  limbs,  and 
altogether  is  as  necessary  to  their  well-doing  as  water  is  to 
quench  their  thirst. 

Much  judicious  care,  however,  is  requisite  in  exercising 
not  only  puppies,  but  dogs  beyond  that  stage.  I  have  seen 
a  man  galloping  along  a  hard  turnpike  road,  at  a  fearful  risk 
of  annihilating  some  of  her  majesty's  liege  subjects,  with 
two  or  three  brace  of  greyhounds  at  his  heels  ;  and  this  I  sup- 
pose, was  exercising  them!  What  can  be  more  absurd  than 
rattling  dogs  over  a  hard,  flinty  road,  at  the  expense  of  their 
legs?  I  should  as  soon  direct  the  most  valuable  hunter  that 
I  ever  possessed,  (and  I  dropped  three  hundred  for  St  Nicho- 
las,) to  be  galloped  at  speed  up  and  down  Portland  Place 
for  a  couple  of  hours,  as  sending  greyhounds  of  mine  to  be 
breathed  on  a  road.  A  gentle  pace  on  the  hard  ground  will 
be  beneficial  to  their  feet;  .but  your  greyhounds,  like  horses, 
should  never  be  galloped  on  it. 

Fast  work  must  be  done,  however,  to  obtain  first-rate  con- 
dition. There  is  a  great  similarity, — as  far  as  there  can  be 
between  a  horse  and  a  dog, — between  bringing  a  greyhound 
"up  to  the  mark"  and  the  race-horse.  High  feeding;  great 
care  to  keep  the  kennel  clean  and  pure,  warm  and  dry  ; 
physic;  exercise;  and  work; — these,  and  a  little  practical 
knowledge  in  the  judicious  administration  of  them,  are  all 
that  is  required,  for  either  the  race-horse  or  the  greyhound. 

In  feeding  greyhounds,  when  training,  various  are  the 
commixtures  given ;  to  attempt  the  detailing  of  which,  would 
occupy  greater  space  than  the  value  of  the  information  might 
warrant.  Wheat-meal  in  equal  quantities  with  the  oat,  ani- 
seeds, and  whites  of  eggs,  are  frequently  mixed  together,  and 
made  into  loaves,  when  dogs  are  being  trained  for  racing, 
and  these  are  given  in  rich  soup. 


278  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

To  all  dogs,  but  more  especially  to  greyhounds,  the  dis- 
temper is  a  deadly  enemy.  Under  the  head  of  "The  Dis- 
temper in  dogs,"  (page  255,)  a  treatment  will  be  found, 
which  applies  as  well  to  greyhounds  as  to  any  other. 


Coursing. 

Coursing  is  so  simple  a  sport,  that  scarcely  any  observation 
is  required,  upon  the  way  in  which  it  ought  to  be  conducted. 
To  find  hares  readily,  is  the  principal  requisite.  Some  men 
are  far  more  expert  in  doing  this  than  others.  In  going 
through  gates  or  over  stiles,  you  should  cast  your  eyes  on 
the  ground  and,  if  soft,  you  will  be  able  to  prick  the  hare,  if 
she  has  lately  been  there.  If  you  should  find  a  double,  (id 
esty — where  she  has  been  in  and  out,)  you  may  be  satisfied 
that  she  is  not  far  off,  if  it  be  a  close,  woodland  country  ;  for 
hares  are  not  fond  of  fences,  and  will  feed  at  no  great  dis- 
tance from  their  forms.  If  the  hedgerows  be  thick,  a  spaniel 
that  will  thread  them  is  of  great  service ;  and  you  should 
look  out  for  the  "  creeps"  in  the  fences,  as  these  frequently 
are  the  index  of  the  "  whereabouts"  of  puss. 

A  wide  unenclosed  country  is  the  one  for  the  enjoyment  of 
good  coursing.  In  such  localities,  hares  are  compelled  to 
make  their  forms  in  the  open  ;  and  a  quick  eye  will  discover 
them  there.  Regular  beats  should  be  made ;  so  that  the 
same  ground  be  not  retaken,  and  parts  neglected  to  be 
tried. 

When  a  hare  is  found  on  her  form,  the  finder  should 
halloo  "  So-ho  !"  but  not  very  loudly  ;  as  it  is  to  attract  the 
attention  of  the  dogs,  and  to  notify  to  the  field  the  discovery 
made,  and  not  for  the  purpose  of  springing  the  hare.  The 
law  or  space  allowed  between  the  hare  and  the  greyhounds, 


COURSING.  279 

must  depend  upon  the  nature  of  the  country.  If  it  be  in 
small  enclosures,  where,  in  a  few  yards,  the  hare  will  be  out 
of  sight,  you  must  let  your  dogs  be  close  to  her  when  put 
from  her  form,  or  she  will  be  lost.  Should  you  be  near  a 
covert,  too,  the  same  rule  must  be  observed  ;  as  she  is  cer- 
tain to  make  for  it,  and  if  not  turned  before  reaching  the 
verge,  will  be  safe  from  farther  pursuit. 

Except  with  pot-hunters,  however,  the  sport  is  not  in  Idll- 
ing  the  hare  ;  but  in  running  her,  and  seeing  the  cotes,  turns, 
and  wrenches.  This  is  the  delight  of  the  legitimate  courser  ; 
and,  in  order  to  obtain  this,  he  gives  as  much  ground  be- 
tween the  hare  and  dogs  at  the  start  as  he  fairly  can,  in  jus- 
tice to  both  the  pursuing  and  pursued.  This,  as  I  have 
before  said,  must  depend  on  the  nature  of  the  country. 

If  there  are  more  than  a  brace  of  greyhounds  in  the  field, 
the  others  should  be  in  slips,  and  have  "blinkers"  on.  If 
they  see  the  hare,  it  gives  infinity  of  trouble  to  hold  them, 
and  makes  them  anxious  and  fretful. 

In  riding  a  course,  you  should  be  very  careful ;  for,  although 
the  greyhounds  may  be  racing  with  the  speed  of  light  away 
from  you  one  moment,  the  hare  turns,  and  the  next  they  are 
in  an  opposite  direction.  A  hard-pulling,  ungovernable  horse 
is  extremely  likely  to  cause  an  accident,  by  galloping  over 
the  greyhounds.  A  valuable  dog  may  be  either  killed  or 
ruined  by  a  fracture. 

When  a  hare  leaves  her  form,  and  gets  through  a  fence 
unseen  by  the  greyhounds,  you  should  ride  boldly  at  the 
fence,  and  lift  them  with  a  cheer.  They  will  then  get  view, 
and  not,  perhaps,  too  much  time  be  lost  for  the  start. 

At  the  latter  end  of  January,  February,  and  March,  hares 
frequent  the  fallows. 

I  have  now  given,  I  believe,  every  necessary  suggestion 
with  regard  to  coursing;  and  shall,  in  conclusion,  insert  the 


280  THE  SPORTSMAN  LIBRARY. 

laws  and  local  rules  governing  the  various  Clubs  throughout 
the  kingdom  at  the  present  time. 


THE  LAWS  OF  COURSING. 


Two  stewards  shall  be  appointed  by  the  members  at  din- 
ner each  day,  to  act  in  the  field  the  following  day,  and  to 
preside  at  dinner.  They  shall  regulate  the  plan  of  beating 
the  ground,  under  the  sanction  of  the  owner  or  occupier  of 
the  soil. 

n. 

Three  or  five  members,  including  the  secretary  for  the 
time  being,  shall  form  a  committee  of  management,  and  shall 
name  a  person,  for  the  appprobation  of  the  members,  to  judge 
all  courses. — All  doubtful  cases  shall  be  referred  to  them. 

in. 

All  courses  shall  be  from  slips,  by  a  brace  of  greyhounds 
only. 

IV. 

The  time  of  putting  the  first  brace  of  dogs  in  slips  shall  be 
declared  at  dinner  on  the  day  preceding.  If  a  prize  is  to  be 
run  for,  and  only  one  dog  is  ready,  he  shall  run  a  bye,  and 
his  owner  shall  receive  forfeit;  should  neither  be  ready, 
the  course  shall  be  run  when  the  committee  shall  think  fit. 
In  a  match,  if  only  one  dog  be  ready,  his  owner  shall  receive 
forfeit ;  if  neither  be  present,  the  match  shall  be  placed  last 
in  the  list. 


THE  LAWS  OF  COURSING.  281 

V. 

If  any  person  shall  enter  a  greyhound  by  a  name  different 
from  that  in  which  he  last  appeared  in  public,  without  giving 
notice  of  such  alteration,  he  shall  be  disqualified  from  win- 
ning, and  shall  forfeit  his  match. 

VI. 

No  greyhounds  shall  be  entered  as  puppies,  unless  born 
on  or  after  the  1st  of  January  of  the  year  preceding  the  day 
of  running. 

vn. 

Any  member,  or  other  person,  running  a  greyhound  at  the 
meeting,  having  a  dog  at  large  which  shall  join  in  the  course 
then  running,  shall  forfeit  one  sovereign :  and,  if  belonging 
to  either  of  the  parties  running,  the  course  shall  be  decided 
against  him. 

VIII. 

The  judge  ought  to  be  in  a  position  where  he  can  see  the 
dogs  leave  the  slips,  and  to  decide  by  the  colour  of  the  dogs, 
to  a  person  appointed  for  that  purpose.  His  decision  shall 
be  final. 

IX. 

If,  in  running  for  prizes,  the  judge  shall  be  of  opinion  that 
the  course  has  not  been  of  sufficient  length  to  enable  him  to 
decide  as  to  the  merits  of  the  dogs,  he  shall  inquire  of  the 
committee  whether  he  is  to  decide  the  course  or  not :  if  in 
the  negative,  the  dogs  shall  be  immediately  put  again  into 
the  slips. 

x. 

The  judge  shall  not  answer  any  questions  put  to  him  re- 
garding a  course,  unless  such  questions  are  asked  by  the 
committee. 


282  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

XI. 

If  any  member  make  any  observation  in  the  hearing  of  the 
judge  respecting  a  course,  during  the  time  of  running,  or 
before  he  shall  have  delivered  his  judgment,  he  shall  forfeit 
one  sovereign  to  the  fund  ;  and  if  either  dog  be  his  own,  he 
shall  lose  the  course.  If  he  impugn  the  decision  of  the  judge, 
he  shall  forfeit  two  sovereigns. 

XII. 

When  a  course  of  an  average  length  is  so  equally  divided 
that  the  judge  shall  be  unable  to  decide  it,  the  owners  of  the 
dogs  may  toss  for  it;  but  if  either  refuse,  the  dogs  shall  be 
again  put  in  the  slips,  at  such  time  as  the  committee  may 
think  fit ;  but  if  either  dog  be  drawn,  the  winning  dog  shall 
not  be  obliged  to  run  again. 

XIII. 

In  running  a  match,  the  judge  may  declare  the  course  to 
be  undecided. 

XIV. 

If  a  member  shall  enter  more  than  one  greyhound,  bond 
fide  his  own  property,  for  a  prize,  his  dogs  shall  not  run 
together,  if  possible  to  avoid  it;  and  if  two  greyhounds,  the 
property  of  the  same  member,  remain  to  the  last  tie,  he  may 
run  it  out,  or  draw  either,  as  he  shall  think  fit. 

xv. 

When  dogs  engaged  are  of  the  same  colour,  the  last 
drawn  shall  wear  a  collar. 

XVI. 

If  a  greyhound  stand  still  in  a  course  when  a  hare  is  in 
his  or  her  sight,  the  owner  shall  lose  the  course ;  but  if  a 


THE  LAWS  OF  COURSING.  283 

greyhound  drops  from  exhaustion,  and  it  shall  be  the  opinion 
of  the  judge  that  the  merit  up  to  the  time  of  falling  was 
greatly  in  his  or  her  favour,  then  the  judge  shall  have  power 
to  award  the  course  to  the  greyhound  so  falling,  if  he 
think  fit. 

XVII. 

Should  two  hares  be  on  foot,  and  the  dogs  separate  be- 
fore reaching  the  hare  slipped  at,  the  course  shall  be  unde- 
cided, and  shall  be  run  over  again  at  such  time  as  the 
committee  shall  think  fit,  unless  the  owners  of  the  dogs  agree 
to  toss  for  it,  or  to  draw  one  dog  ;  and  if  the  dogs  separate 
after  running  some  time,  it  shall  be  at  the  discretion  of  the 
committee  whether  the  course  shall  be  decided  up  to  the 
point  of  separation. 

XVIII. 

A  course  shall  end,  if  either  dog  be  so  unsighted  as  to 
cause  an  impediment  in  the  course. 

xix. 

If  any  member  or  his  servant  ride  over  his  opponent's 
dog  when  running,  so  as  to  injure  him  in  the  course,  the 
dog  so  ridden  over  shall  be  deemed  to  win  the  course. 

xx. 

It  is  recommended  to  all  union  meetings  to  appoint  a 
committee  of  five,  consisting  of  members  of  different  Clubs, 
to  determine  all  difficulties  and  cases  of  doubt. 

The  following 

GENERAL  RULES 

are  recommended  to  judges  for  their  guidance.     The  fea- 
tures of  merit  are  : — 
25 


284  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

The  race  from  slips,  and  the  first  turn  or  wrench  of  the 
hare  (provided  it  be  a  fair  slip,)  and  a  straight  run  up. 

Where  one  dog  gives  the  other  a  go-by,  when  both  are 
in  their  full  speed,  and  turns  or  wrenches  the  hare.  (N.  B. — 
If  one  dog  be  in  the  stretch,  and  the  other  only  turning  at 
the  time  he  passes,  it  is  not  a  fair  go-by.) 

Where  one  dog  turns  the  hare  when  she  is  leading  home- 
wards, and  keeps  the  lead  so  as  to  serve  himself,  and  makes 
a  second  turn  of  the  hare  without  losing  the  lead. 

A  catch  or  kill  of  the  hare,  when  she  is  running  straight 
and  leading  homewards,  is  fully  equal  to  a  turn  of  the  hare 
when  running  in  the  same  direction;  or  perhaps  more,  if  he 
show  the  speed  over  the  other  dog  in  doing.  If  a  dog 
draws  the  fleck  from  the  hare,  and  causes  her  to  wrench  or 
nick  only,  it  is  equal  to  a  turn  of  the  hare  when  leading 
homewards. 

When  a  dog  wrenches  or  nicks  a  hare  twice  following, 
without  losing  the  lead,  it  is  equal  to  a  turn. 

N.  B. — It  often  happens  when  a  hare  has  been  turned, 
and  she  is  running  from  home,  that  she  turns  of  her  own 
accord  to  gain  ground  homeward,  when  both  dogs  are  on 
the  stretch  after  her:  in  such  a  case  the  judge  should  not 
give  the  leading  dog  a  turn. 

There  are  often  other  minor  advantages  in  a  course,  such 
as  one  dog  showing  occasional  superiority  of  speed,  turn- 
ing on  less  ground,  and  running  the  whole  course  with  more 
fire  than  his  opponent,  which  must  be  left  to  the  discretion 
of  the  judge,  who  is  to  decide  on  the  merits. 


THE  LAWS  OF  COURSING.  285 


LOCAL  RULES. 


That  the  number  of  members  be  regulated  by  the  letters 
in  the  alphabet,  and  that  the  two  junior  members  shall  take 
letters  X  and  Z,  if  required. 

ii. 

That  the  members  shall  be  elected  by  ballot,  that  seven 
members  constitute  a  ballot,  and  that  two  black  balls  shall 
exclude. 

in. 

That  the  name  of  every  person  proposed  to  be  balloted 
for  as  a  member  shall  be  placed  over  the  chimney-piece  one 
day  before  the  ballot  can  take  place. 

IV. 

That  no  proposition  can  be  balloted  for,  unless  put  up 
over  the  chimney-piece  with  the  name  or  the  proposer  and 
seconder,  at  or  before  dinner  preceding  the  day  of  the  bal- 
lot, and  read  to  the  members  at  such  dinner. 

v. 

That  every  member  shall,  at  each  meeting,  run  a  grey- 
hound his  own  property,  or  forfeit  one  sovereign  to  the  club. 

VI. 

No  member  shall  be  allowed  to  match  more  than  two 
greyhounds  in  the  first  class,  under  a  penalty  of  two  sove- 
reigns to  the  fund,  unless  auch  member  has  been  drawn  or 
run  out  for  the  prizes,  in  which  case  he  shall  be  allowed  to 
run  three  dogs  in  the  first  class. 


286  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

VII. 

If  any  member  shall  absent  himself  two  seasons  without 
sending  his  subscription,  he  shall  be  deemed  out  of  the  so- 
ciety, and  another  chosen  in  his  place. 

VIII. 

That  no  greyhound  shall  be  allowed  to  start,  if  any  arrears 
are  due  to  this  society  from  the  owner. 

IX. 

That  any  member,  lending  another  a  greyhound  for  the 
purpose  of  saving  his  forfeit  (excepting  by  consent  of  the 
members  present,)  shall  forfeit  five  sovereigns. 

x. 

Any  member,  running  the  dog  of  a  stranger  in  a  match, 
shall  cause  the  name  of  the  owner  to  be  inserted  after  his 
own  name  in  the  list,  under  a  penalty  of  one  sovereign. 

XI. 

No  stranger  to  be  admitted  into  the  society's  room,  unless 
introduced  by  a  member,  who  is  to  place  the  name  of  his 
friend  over  the  chimney-piece,  with  his  own  name  attached 
to  it;  and  no  member  to  introduce  more  than  one  friend. 

XII. 

That  the  members  of  the 

Clubs  shall  be  honorary  members  of  this  society;  and  when 
present  shall  be  allowed  to  run  their  greyhounds,  on  paying 
the  annual  subscription. 

XIII. 

That  Messrs. 
(three  or  five  members,  including  the  secretary  for  the  time 


THE  LAWS  OF  COURSING.  287 

being)  shall  form  a  committee  for  managing  the  affairs  of 
the  society,  and  that  they  shall  name  a  person,  for  the  ap- 
probation of  the  members,  to  judge  all  courses  run  in  the 
society,  and  that  all  doubtful  cases  shall  be  referred  to 
them. 

XIV. 

That  this  society  shall  meet  on  the 
in  and  course  on 

following  days 

That  the  General  Rules  be  recommended  for  the 
adoption  of  all  Coursing  Societies,  arid  the  Local 
Rules  applied  in  all  cases  where  they  are  practi- 
cable and  convenient. 


25* 


'288  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  T.IBRAKY. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


TERMS  USED  IN  SPORTING* 

IN  different  counties  and  parts  of  England,  sporting  terms 
vary  in  a  slight  degree.  For  instance,  when  speaking  of 
spaniels,  I  have  heard  a  couple  called  a  brace.  In  the  West 
of  England,  the  seals  of  an  otter  are  termed  his  spears,  and 
so  forth.  Along  the  coast,  the  fishermen  call  wild-fowl  by 
all  sorts  of  misnomers;  and  no  two  places  agree. 

The  following,  however,  is  a  correct  list  of  sporting 
phrases. 

Terms  used  in  Sporting. 

Of  pointers,  setters,  greyhounds,  and  terriers,  two  are 
called  a  brace;  and  three,  a  leash.  Of  hounds,  beagles, 
spaniels,  &c.  two  are  called  a  couple ;  three,  a  harle,  or  a 
couple  and  a-half.  Of  spaniels  and  terriers,  more  than  two 
brace  of  different  kinds  are  called  a  tue,  or  rough  muster; 
several  couple  of  spaniels  are  called  a  pack.  Greyhounds, 
when  tired,  are  said  to  be  overhaled ;  pointers,  setters, 
spaniels,  terriers,  &c.,  floored  or  jaded.  Spaniels  quest, 
tongue,  and  babble,  on  the  haunt.  Fox-hounds  challenge  on 
drag,  and  hit  him  off.  The  harrier  calls  on  trail  or  form, 
and  makes  his  way.  When  they  overshoot  and  are  at 
fault,  they  are  said,  when  trying  back,  to  traverse. 

When  quadruped  animals  of  the  venery  or  hunting  kind 


TERMS  USED  IN  SPORTIXG.  289 

are  at  rest,  the  stag  is  said  to  be  harboured,  the  buck  lodged, 
the  fox  kenneled,  the  badger  earthed,  the  otter  vented  or 
watched,  the  hare  formed,  and  the  rabbit  set. 

When  you  find  and  rouse  up  the  stag  and  buck,  they  are 
said  to  be  imprimed  :  unkennel  the  fox,  and  he  is  on  the  pad ; 
dig  the  badger,  unvent  the  otter,  start  the  hare,  bolt  the 
rabbit.  To  investigate,  or  follow,  by  the  prints  of  the  feet, 
is  a  great  qualification  in  a  sportsman,  They  are  called, — 
The  slot,  or  view  of  deer,  of  all  kind;  you  may  know  when 
they  have  been  coursed,  by  the  cleft  widening,  and  the  dew- 
claws  printing  the  ground  ;  if  an  old  one  by  his  gait,  i.  e. 
manner  of  walking  or  straining,  which  latter  is  at  full  speed  : 
he  does  not  overreach,  as  young  ones  do. 

The  seal  of  an  otter;  the  ball  of  a  fox;  the  pricks  of  a 
hare;  the  prints  of  a  badger;  scratching  of  rabbits.  Of 
pheasants,  grouse,  partridges,  quails,  and  rails,  the  rode ;  of 
woodcocks  and  snipes,  the  creeps:  the  trace  of  all,  in  the 
snow.  The  excrement  or  ordure  is  called  the  suage  of  an 
otter,  the  fumet  or  furnishings  of  deer,  the  billet  of  a  fox, 
the  fiants  of  a  badger,  the  buttons  orcroteys  of  the  hare  and 
rabbit,  the  spraints  of  the  martin-cat,  &c. ;  the  droppings  of 
pheasants,  partridges,  &c. ;  chalkings  and  markings  of 
woodcocks;  and  mutings  of  snipes. 

The  tail  is  called  the  pole,  potter,  or  eel  of  an  otter :  the 
single  of  deer,  the  brush  of  a  fox ;  the  white  tip,  the  chape, 
and  stump  of  a  badger;  the  scut  of  the  hare  and  rabbit; 
the  drag  of  polecats,  stoats,  &c.;  the  train  or  pole  of  the 
pheasant. 

When  the  feathered  tribe  are  at  rest,  the  grouse  are  said 
to  be  challenged;  the  pheasants,  chuckered  or  perched; 
partridges,  jugged;  quails,  piped  ;  rails,  craked  ;t  woodcocks, 
fallen ;  snipes,  at  walk.  When  in  search,  you  spring  grouse, 
pheasants,  and  rails  •;  flush  partridges,  woodcocks,  quails,  and 


890 

snipes.  In  the  early  part  of  the  season : — you  find  a  pack 
of  grouse,  a  nide  of  pheasants,  a  covey  of  birds,  a  bevy  of 
quails,  a  fall  of  woodcocks,  a  walk  of  snipes ;  rails,  hares, 
&c.  singly. 

When  animals  of  the  quadruped  kind  are  inclined  to  copu- 
late, the  following  phrases  are  used : — 

Females — the  Roe  or  Hind,  go  to  tourn ; — Doe,  to  rut,  or 
is  rutting  ; — Otter,  to  her  kind ; — Vixen,  to  clicket,  or  is 
clicketing ; — Hare,  to  clicket,  or  is  clicketing ; — Rabbit,  to 
buck,  or  is  bucking; — Badger,  to  brim,  or  is  brimming; — 
Bitch,  is  in  heat,  or  getting  fond  ; — Polecat,  Stoat,  Ferret, 
&c.  are  bucking. 

Males — The  Stag  or  Hart,  bellows  ; — Buck  groans  or 
treats  ; — Otter,  whines ; — Fox,  barks ; — Hare,  beats  or  taps ; 
— Rabbit,  ditto; — Badger,  yells; — Pole-cat  Stoat,  Ferret, 
&c.  chatter. 

A  Cote, — is  when  a  dog  passes  his  fellow,  takes  in,  ob- 
structs his  sight,  and  turns  the  hare. 

A  Form, — where  a  hare  has  set 

At  Gaze, — looking  steadfastly  at  any  object  when  stand- 
ing still. 

A  Layer,  where  a  stag  or  buck  has  lodged. 

Beat  Counter,  backwards. 

Bend,  forming  a  serpentine  figure. 

Blemishes,  when  they  make  short  entries,  and  return. 

Blink,  to  leave  the  point  or  back,  or  run  away  at  the  re- 
port of  the  gun,  &c. 

Break  field,  to  enter  before  you. 

Chap,  to  catch  with  the  mouth. 

Curvet,  to  throw. 

Doucets,  the  testicles  or  stones. 

Embossed,  tired. 

Flourish,  to  twist  the  stem,  and  throw  right  and  left  in  too 
great  a  hurry. 


TERMS  USED  IN  SPORTING.  291 

Going  to  Fault,  a  hare's  going  to  ground. 

Handicap,  the  gentleman  who  matches  the  dogs. 

Hard-nosed,  having  little  or  no  sense  of  smelling. 

Hug,  to  run  close  side  by  side. 

In-and-in,  too  near  related,  as  sire  and  daughter,  dam  and 
son,  &c. 

Jerk,  an  attempt  to  turn,  by  shipping  out. 

Sapise,  to  open  or  give  tongue. 

Mort,  the  death  of  deer. 

Near-scented,  not  catching  the  scent  till  too  near. 

Plod,  to  hang  upon  the  tragonings  or  doublings. 

Run  Riot,  to  run  at  the  whole  herd. 

Sink,  to  lie  down,  cunningly  drawing  the  feet  close,  and 
bearing  the  nose  on  the  ground,  to  prevent  the  scent  flying. 

Skirt,  to  run  round  the  sides,  being  too  fond  of  the  hedges. 

Slip,  losing  the  foot. 

Spens  or  Deals,  the  teats. 

Spent,  when  the  deer  is  nearly  dead,  which  you  may  know 
by  his  stretching  his  neck  out  straight. 

Straineth,  wh^.n  at  full  speed. 

Tappish,  to  lurk,  skulk,  and  sink. 

To  Carry  or  Hod,  when  the  earth  sticks  to  their  feet. 

Tragoning,  crossing  and  doubling. 

Trip,  to  force  by  you. 

Tuel,  the  vent. 

Twist,  a  sudden  turn  of  the  head,  when  the  scent  is  caught 
sideways. 

Vick,  to  make  a  low  noise. 

Watch,  to  attend  to  the  other  dog,  not  endeavouring  to 
find  his  own  game,  but  lying  off  for  advantages.  In 
coursing,  it  is  called  running  cunning. 

Wiles  or  Toils,  are  engines  to  take  deer  with. 

Wrench,  a  half-turn. 


292 


Colours  and  Marks  of  Dogs. 

A  frieze  down  the  face,  a  white  square  on  any  part  of  the 
body,  is  called  a  ticket ;  white  round  the  neck  is  called  a 
garter ;  single  spots  are  called  ticks  ;  small  ones  (confused,) 
are  called  mottle  ;  single  ones,  patches ;  a  liver  patch  white, 
ditto  mottle,  ditto  tick,  black  patch  white,  ditto  yellow,  pale 
ditto,  a  black  tan,  beagle-eyed.  Whole  colours  are,  black, 
white,  lemon,  yellow,  whey-coloured,  dark  brindled,  brown, 
&c. 


BOOK  V. 

FISHING. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


TROUT  FISHING. 

HUNTING,  shooting,  and  coursing,  have  been  the  sports  in 
all  the  variety  of  which  I  have  indulged  as  much,  perhaps, 
as  any  one  living,  of  my  age.  "  The  gentle  art,"  however, 
I  have  never  followed  with  that  enthusiasm  which  is  neces- 
sary to  render  a  man  a  proficient,  and  capable  of  teaching  its 
mysteries  to  that  extent  which  the  novice  may  anticipate, 
when  he  refers  for  information  to  these  pages.  I  shall,  there- 
fore, in  addition  to  the  practical  knowledge  I  may  have  ac- 
quired from  experience  and  association  with  others  of  greater 
and  more  professed  skill,  refer  to  authorities  for  assistance ; 
and  thus  make  good  the  deficiency  which  otherwise  might  be 
found. 

The  first  acquirement  in  trout  fishing,  is  the  knowledge  of 
the  flies  required  at  different  times  and  seasons,  and  the  being 
able  to  tie  them  yourself.  Unless  this  early  lesson  be  perfectly 
acquired,  little  sport,  comparatively  speaking,  can  be  en- 
joyed ;  as  however  large  the  collection  of  flies,  the  one,  and 
the  only  one,  that  the  fish  will  take,  on  occasions,  it  may 
wear  your  patience  out  to  find  in  your  book ;  whereas,  if  you 


294 

could  fabricate  an  imitation  of  the  desired  morsel,  (having 
taken  care  to  have  the  material  with  you,)  a  killing  fly  could 
be  produced  in  one-third  the  time. 

As,  however,  you  can  tie  flies  at  your  leisure  at  home, 
when  you  cannot  fish  ;  it  is  better  to  have  such  a  supply- 
ready  that  you  may  not  be  constantly  required  to  sit  upon  the 
bank  of  the  stream,  manufacturing  flies,  instead  of  following 
the  more  pleasurable  occupation  of  casting  them. 

At  particular  seasons  of  the  year,  there  are  certain  descrip- 
tions of  flies,  at  which  trout  will  generally  rise ;  but  excep- 
tions to  the  ordinary  rules  will  be  frequently  found;  the  wea- 
ther having  a  very  great  influence  upon  the  colour  and  kind 
of  fly  to  be  used.  Moreover,  a  fly  greedily  taken  in  the 
morning  will,  sometimes,  be  refused  at  noon,  or  in  the  even- 
ing ;  and  a  change  will  be  requisite. 

An  hour  may  bring  ephemera  on  the  waters,  which  you 
must  imitate,  or  you  will  cast  in  vain.  From  this  rule  there 
should  be  no  deviation  whatever:  Use  as  close  an  imitation 
as  possible,  of  the  flies  flitting  over  and  about  the  water  at  the 
time  ofyourflshing.  No  collection  which  human  ingenuity 
can  form,  will,  in  consequence  of  the  variety  and  uncertainty 
of  the  insects,  be  sufficient  to  meet  the  changes  at  the  time, 
perhaps,  when  most  wanted;  and  therefore  the  fly-fisher 
should  be  prepared  with  a  diversity  of  material,  and  know 
how  to  use  it,  in  cases  of  emergency. 

It  must  have  been  observed  by  nearly  every  man  that  ever 
threw  a  fly,  that  occasionally  trout  will  be  rising  in  every 
direction,  arid  yet  totally  disregard  the  fly  on  his  gut.  The 
plan  to  adopt  then  is,  to  catch  one  of  the  insects  at  which  the 
fish  so  greedly  snap,  and,  if  you  have  not  a  tolerably  good 
representative  in  your  book,  make  one  from  your  stock  of 
material:  of  ^  which  there  should  be  a  portion  of  all  the  va- 
rious kinds  used  for  fly-making. 


TROUT  FISHING.  295 

Flies  in  general  use. 

February:— Dark  fox,  hare's  ear  and  claret,  dark  gray 
hackle,  plain  black  hackle,  gray  sooty. 

March  : — Plain  black  hackle,  plain  wren,  dark  brown  rail, 
dark  olive  camel,  fox  half  a  shade  lighter  than  last  month, 
dark  brown  carnel:  latter  end  of  the  month,  brown  coughlin, 
dirty  tawny  bodied  with  hare's  ear,  green  cow-dung,  gray 
sooty. 

April: — Gray  coughlin,  light  olive  camel,  light  brown  rail, 
ash  fox-blow  for  the  latter  end  end  of  the  month,  orange 
cowdung,  blue-blow,  tipped  wing  black,  plain  black  midge, 
hare's  ear  and  yellow,  hare's  ear  and  green,  plain  red  hackle 
orange  bodied,  ditto  tipped  black  hackle,  plain  black  hackle, 
blue  bodied  black  hackle,  buff'  fox,  gray  sooty,  all  kinds  of 
wren  hackles,  and  gray  hackles. 

This  list  will  bring  you  into  May,  and  some  of  them  into 
June. 

May: — Hawthorn  fly,  yellow  May  fly,  golden  sooty,  light 
fox,  cream  camel,  brown  rail,  fancy  hackle  flies,  caterpillars, 
green  beetles,  'black  beetles,  golden  palmers,  yellow  and 
orange  palmers,  stone  fly,  plain  and  brown  beetles. 

June: — All  the  May  flies  and  green  fox  come  in  now,  and 
with  light  fox  continue  all  the  summer;  light  rail,  blue  bodied 
black  hackle,  orange  bodied  red,  fancy  wrens,  gold  palmer, 
green  beetle,  scaldcrow  midge,  and  night  moth. 

July  and  August: — -The  above  flies  and  the  cinnamon 
called  the  cad-bait  fly. 

September : — Muddy  green  fox,  green  rail  with  plain  red 
hackle,  orange  body  ditto,  light  rail,  plain  and  fancy  wrens; 
small  cad-bait  breasted  with  woodcock  hackle  and  double 
wings,  last  during  the  fishing  season. 

It  is  not  generally  known  among  fishermen,  that  the  water 
flies,  which  it  is  their  aim  to  imitate,  are  not  of  so  great  a  diver- 
26 


296  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

sity  of  species  as  of  colour;  a  change  of  hue  being  produced  in 
the  succession  of  the  seasons.  It  may  not  be  that  they  are 
the  same  insects ;  more  probably  they  may  be  successive  gene- 
rations of  ephemeras  of  the  same  species.  This,  however  is, 
a  subject  of  greater  interest  to  the  naturalist  than  to  the  fly- 
fisher. 

Throwing  the  fly  for  trout,  can  no  more  be  taught  by 
merely  written  instructions  than  playing  the  violin.  But  as, 
without  a  theory,  practice,  of  a  uniform  and  proper  kind,  is 
impossible,  the  following  directions  to  the  novice  will  be 
found  beneficial. 

In  whipping  with  an  artificial  fly,  there  are  only  two 
cases  in  which  a  fish  taking  a  fly  will  hook  himself  without 
your  assistance  ;  viz.  when  your  fly  first  touches  the  water  at 
the  end  of  a  straight  line,  and  when  you  are  drawing  out  your 
fly  for  a  new  throw.  In  all  other  cases,  it  is  necessary,  in 
order  to  hook  him  when  he  has  taken  the  fly,  to  strike  by  a 
movement  of  the  wrist  which  it  is  not  easy  to  describe. 

The  fly  must  have  time,  when  you  have  drawn  it  out  of 
the  water,  to  make  the  whole  circuit  and  be  at  one  time 
straight  behind  you,  before  it  can  be  thrown  out  straight 
before  you.  If  you  give  it  the  forward  impulse  too  soon, 
you  will  hear  a  crack,  and  you  may  rest  assured  that  at 
that  moment  your  fly  went  to  grass. 

If  your  line  falls  loose  and  wavy  in  the  water,  it  will 
either  frighten  away  the  fish,  or  he  will  take  the  fly  into  his 
mouth  without  fastening  himself;  and  when  he  finds  that  it 
does  not  suit  his  purpose,  he  will  spit  it  out  again,  before  it 
has  answered  yours. 

Heed  not  what  they  of  the  old  school  say  about  playing 
him  until  he  is  tired.  Much  valuable  time,  and  many  a 
good  fish  may  be  lost,  by  this  antiquated  proceeding.  Put 
him  into  your  basket  as  soon  as  you  can.  Every  thing  de- 


TROUT  FISHING.  297 

pends  on  the  manner  in  which  you  commence  your  acquaint- 
ance with  him.  If  you  can  at  first  prevail  upon  him  to 
walk  a  little  way  down  the  stream  with  you,  you  will  have 
no  difficulty  afterwards  in  persuading  him  to  let  you  have 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  at  dinner. 

Do  not  leave  off  fishing  early  in  the  evening.  After  a 
bright  day,  the  largest  fish  are  to  be  caught  by  whipping 
between  sunset  and  dark.  Even,  however,  in  these  precious 
moments,  you  will  not  have  good  sport,  if  you  continue 
throwing  after  you  have  whipped  your  fly  off.  Pay  attention 
to  this;  and,  if  you  have  any  doubt  after  dusk,  you  may 
easily  ascertain  the  point,  by  drawing  the  end  of  your  line 
quickly  through  your  hand,  particularly  if  you  do  not  wear 
gloves. 

Never  angle  in  glaring-coloured  clothes.  Perhaps  green 
is  that  which  fish  discern  least;  as  varying  less  from  those 
objects,  such  as  trees  and  herbage  on  the  river  sides,  to 
which  they  are  familiarized. 

The  fisherman  should  shelter  and  screen  himself  (unless 
the  water  be  muddy  from  rain)  far  from  the  bank,  or  be- 
hind a  bush  or  tree ;  and  so  that  his  shadow  do  not  at  any 
time  lie  upon  the  water,  especially  where  it  is  shallow  and 
the  gravelly  bottom  can  be  discerned. 

The  wind  should  always  be  at  his  back,  and  the  sun  as 
much  before  him  as  possible.^  In  cold,  windy  weather,  he 
should  be  on  the  weather  shore,  where  the  fish  then  resort 
for  warmth  and  calmness  of  the  water.  The  east  wind  has 
been  universally  execrated:  but  probably  this  may  not  hold 
good  in  rivers  running  from  east  to  west. 

During  the  summer,  even  when  the  water  is  quite  clear 
and  low,  no  wind  stirring,  and  the  sun  shining  with  the 
utmost  lustre,  and  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  day,  it  is  insisted 
that  trout  may  be  taken  (although  very  few  are  disposed  to 


298  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

credit  it)  with  a  small  wren's  tail,  grouse,  smoky  dun,  and 
black  hackles;  fishing  straight  down  the  water,  bv  the  sides 
of  streams  and  banks ;  keeping  out  of  sight,  and  with  as  long 
a  line  as  can  conveniently  be  managed,  with  the  foot  lengih 
very  fine.  The  trout  may  be  often  seen  with  their  fins 
above  water,  at  which  time  they  will  eagerly  snap  at  these 
flies;  and  though  upon  hooking  one,  the  rest  will  fly  oft', 
they  will  soon  be  composed,  and  return  for  two  or  three 
times. 

The  best  periods  are,  from  March  (when  trout,  from  the 
rarity  of  even  getting  a  knat  previously,  are  greedy,  and 
ready  to  rise  at  any  thing  in  the  shape  of  a  fly)  to  October; 
from  three  until  nine  in  the -morning;  and  from  three  in  the 
afternoon,  so  long  as  there  is  light;  the  later,  the  better 
sport.  In  winter  the  weather  and  times  are  much  alike;  the 
warmest  is  most  preferable. 

Spinning  a  minnow  is  another  scientific  mode  of  killing 
trout.  An  artificial  fish  is  very  frequently  used ;  but  the 
finest  trout  that  I  ever  killed  in  the  Thames,  weighing  six 
pounds  and  a  half,  or  very  nearly  so,  between  Windsor 
bridge  and  Surly  hall  in  1840,  I  killed  by  spinning  a  natural 
minnow,  baited  in  accordance  with  the  directions  of  old 
Izaac  Walton;  which  are  as  follows — "To  put  the  hook  in 
at  the  mouth,  and  draw  it  out  through  the  gill,  about  three 
inches;  then  again  put  the  hook  in  at  the  mouth,  and  let  the 
point  and  beard  come  out  at  the  tail;  then  tie  the  hook  and 
the  tail  about,  with  a  fine  white  thread,  which  will  make  it 
spin  quicker;  pull  back  that  part  of  the  line  which  was  slack 
when  the  hook  was  thrust  in  the  second  time,  which  will 
fasten  the  head  of  the  minnow  so  as  to  make  it  almost 
straight  on  the  hook;  try  if  it  turns  well,  which  it  cannot  do 
too  fast.  Angle  with  the  point  of  the  rod  down  the  stream  ; 
drawing  the  minnow  against  the  current  gradually,  and  near 


TROUT  FISHING.  299 

the  surface:  when  descried,  the  trout  will  freely  come  at  it. 
Be  careful  not  to  snatch  it  away,  nor  strike  until  he  has 
turned  with  the  bait.  For  this  angling,  the  winch  and 
ringed  rod  are  always  to  be  used ;  and  there  should  be  two 
or  three  swivels  on  the  line,  which  will  assist  the  spinning  of 
the  minnow." 

Walton's  method  may  be  altered  and  improved,  by  first 
thrusting  the  hook  in  at  the  lower  side  of  the  minnow's 
under  chap,  and  also  quite  through  the  upper  chap ;  drawing 
it  two  or  three  inches  on  the  line,  and  putting  the  hook  in  at 
the  mouth  as  before  directed.  This  will  keep  the  minnow's 
mouth  closed  ;  which  otherwise  should  be  stitched  up. 

The  tackle  should  be  of  the  same  sort  as  that  used  for 
salmon,  with  this  difference,  that  it  must  be  finer,  with  a 
stout  single  silkworm  gut  at  bottom,  and  the  hook  Nos.  2,  3, 
or  4,  according  to  the  size  of  the  trout  in  the  water  where 
angled  for.  The  middle-sized  and  whitest  minnows  (of 
which  those  caught  in  streams  are  far  brighter  than  those 
procured  from  ditches  or  stagnated  waters)  are  the  best. 

When  trout  will  not  rise  at  a  fly,  and  the  water  is  clouded 
and  thick,  from  floods  or  recent  showers,  a  red  worm  fre- 
quently proves  a  very  good  bait.  In  quick  and  shallow 
streams,  you  should  let  the  gut  or  "  collar,"  as  it  is  some- 
times called,  be  so  shotted  as  to  sink  the  worm  to  the  bot- 
tom; and,  letting  it  drive  down  the  stream,  follow  it  in  its 
course.  The  moment  that  you  feel  the  fish,  strike  and  hook 
him.  In  mill-dams,  deep  holes,  and  "dips,"  the  same  expe- 
dient may  be  tried,  very  often  with  success;  and  the  only 
difference  is,  the  standing  still,  instead  of  following  the  bait. 


26*= 


300  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

PIKE,  PERCH,  AND  OTHER  FISHING. — RODS,  LINES,  HOOKS,  &C. 

Pike.      i 

THERE  is  no  fish  more  rapacious  than  the  pike ;  and  he 
has,  in  consequence,  been  properly  called  the  "  fresh-water 
shark."  The  accounts  frequently  given,  of  the  immense 
size  that  this  fish  attains,  appear  somewhat  of  the  fabulous 
order:  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  pike  have  been  taken  of 
monstrous  weight. 

Being  a  hungry  and  bold  fish,  little  skill  is  required  in 
taking  him  ;  and  he  will  gorge  either  a  natural  or  artificial 
bait,  in  the  shape  of  minnows,  mice,  frogs,  or  any  kind  of  fry. 
But  in  using  the  natural  bait,  you  should  always  have  it  taken 
from  other  waters  than  those  in  which  the  pike  is  to  be  fished 
for ;  as  he  is  extremely  fond  of  fresh  "  tit  bits,"  and  they 
offer  irresistible  temptations  to  his  appetite. 

The  plan  which  affords  the  most  sport  with  pike,  is  trolling 
for  them  ;  and  this  may  either  be  by  live-bait  fishing,  when 
a  floated  line  is  used ;  or  snap-fishing,  when  the  angler  so 
places  his  baited  hooks,  that  immediately  he  feels  a  bite,  he 
strikes  with  much  force,  and  generally  throws  over  his  head 
or  drags  the  pike  or  jack  ashore,  instead  of  playing  him  until 
exhausted.  The  former,  however,  I  recommend  ;  having 


PIKE,  PERCH,  AND  OTHER  FISHING.  301 

killed  more,  and  lost  fewer  fish  by  it,  than  by  the  other  sys- 
tem. 

The  simple  plan  that  I  have  adopted,  in  taking  pike,  has 
been  this  : — to  have  a  float  made  of  cork,  of  six  inches  in 
diameter,  cut  thin.  Through  the  centre  of  this,  a  white  peg 
has  been  driven,  with  a  wire  loop  at  each  end.  Having 
plummed  the  depth,  and  baited  the  hook  so  as  to  hang  just 
clear  of  the  bottom,  which  can  be  easily  regulated  by  the 
wire  loops  through  the  peg ;  fix  the  line,  by  giving  it  a  turn 
or  two  round  the  end  of  the  peg  above  water ;  and  fix  the 
coil  on  the  shore,  either  by  pegging  it  down  or  tying  it  to  a 
bough.  In  this  manner,  you  can  attend  to  six  or  eight  floats  ; 
and  thus  your  chances  of  success  will  be  so  much  increased. 

I  am  not  aware  whether  this  can  be  claimed  by  me  as  an 
original  method  ;  but  I  can  positively  assert  that  I  never  saw 
it  practised  until  I  used  it  myself. 


Perch. 

The  perch  possesses  a  peculiarity  as  a  fish  of  prey,  which 
is  not  to  be  found  in  any  other  of  the  fresh-water  kind  :  he  is 
gregarious  and  swims  in  shoals,  although  so  voracious  as  to 
attack  his  own  kind. 

There  are  few  fish  of  the  smaller  kind,  that  afford  the  angler 
so  much  diversion  as  the  perch.  He  is  a  game,  bold  fish  ; 
'and  not  only  in  the  water  is  valuable  for  the  sport  that  he 
gives,  but  when  caught,  is  a  delicious  dish  for  the  table. 

In  angling  for  perch,  the  best  kinds  of  bait  are  small  lob 
worms  which  have  no  knot,  brandlings,  red  dunghills,  or 
those  found  in  rotten  tan  ;  all  well  scoured  by  being  placed 
in  horse  hair,  grass,  or  moss.  The  hook  may  be  varied  from 
No.  2  to  6  ;  being  well  whipt  to  a  strong  silkworm  gut,  with 


302  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

a  few  shot  a  foot  from  it.  Put  the  point  of  the  hook  in  at  the 
head  of  the  worm  ;  out  again  a  little  lower  than  the  middle, 
pushing  it  above  the  shank  of  the  hook  upon  the  gut.  Take 
a  smaller  one,  beginning  in  the  same  way,  and  take  its  head 
up  to  the  middle  of  the  shank  only ;  then  draw  the  first  worm 
down  to  the  head  of  the  latter,  so  that  the  tails  may  hang  one 
above  the  other ;  keeping  the  point  of  the  hook  well  covered. 
This  is  the  most  enticing  method  for  worm-fishing.  Use  a 
small  float,  to  keep  the  bait  at  six  or  twelve  inches  from  the 
bottom,  or  sometimes  about  midwater. 

In  angling  near  the  bottom,  raise  the  bait  very  frequently 
from  thence  almost  to  the  surface  ;  letting  it  gradually  fall 
again.  Should  a  good  shoal  be  met  with,  they  are  so  greedy, 
that  they  may  be  all  caught,  unless  one  escapes  that  has  felt 
the  hook ;  then  all  is  over  ;  the  fish  that  has  been  hooked 
becomes  restless,  and  soon  causes  the  whole  shoal  to  leave 
the  spot. 

Bait  for  perch  are,  loaches,  sticklebacks,  with  the  spines 
cut  off',  miller's  thumbs,  horse-beans  boiled,  (after  the  place 
has  been  well  baited  with  them,  put  one  at  a  time  on  the 
hook,)  cad-bait,  bobs,  and  gentles. 

Although  a  bold  biter,  the  perch  is  extremely  abstemious 
in  winter,  and  scarcely  ever  bites  in  that  season,  except  in 
the  middle  of  a  warm  sunshiny  day.  He  bites  best,  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  spring,  from  seven  to  eleven  in  the  forenoon, 
and  from  two  to  six  in  the  afternoon ;  except  in  hot  and 
bright  weather,  and  then  from  sunrise  to  six  in  the  morning, 
and  in  the  evening  from  six  to  sunset.  If  a  day  be  cool  and 
cloudy,  with  a  ruffling  south  wind,  perch  will  bite  during 
the  whole  of  it.  In  clear  water,  sometimes  a  dozen  or  more 
of  perch  have  been  observed  in  a  deep  hole,  sheltered  by 
trees  or  bushes.  By  using  fne  tackle  and  well-scoured 


PIKE,  PERCH,  AND  OTHER  FISHING.  303 

worms,  the  angler  may  see  them  strive  which  shall  first 
seize  the  bait  until  the  entire  shoal  has  been  caught. 

Perch  may  be  angled  for  and  taken  until  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember; and,  indeed,  at  particular  times  all  the  year  round  : 
but  the  preferable  season  is  from  the  beginning  of  May  to  the 
middle  of  July. 

Other  Fishes. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  enter  into  the  details  of  an- 
gling for  every  kind  of  fish  that  swims,  any  more  than  it  would 
be  for  me  to  particularize  the  small  birds  that  a  schoolboy 
might  burn  powder  at,  when  home  for  the  holydays.  With- 
out doubt,  there  are  some  peculiar  rules  to  be  observed,  in 
the  taking  of  every  kind ;  at  the  same  time,  they  are  so  im- 
material as  not  to  be  worth  the  task  of  giving  or*  learning. 
To  be  patient;  to  plum  the  ground  properly  and  often,  if  the 
tide  requires  it;  to  bait  the  hook  so  as  to  secrete  it  with  the 
most  seductive  kind;  to  attract  the  fish  by  ground-bait;  and 
to  strike  (by  the  same  rule  that  you  should  pull  your  trigger) 
at  the  moment  that  the  fish  is  ready  ;  are  the  principal  rules 
in  all  kinds  of  angling. 

Fishing  Rods. 

The  wood  for  fishing  rods  should  be  cut  about  Christmas: 
and  some  insist  that,  if  left  in  the  open  air  for  twelve  months 
afterwards,  it  will  season  better  than  if  stowed  in  a  dry 
place.  Hazel  is  the  wood  generally  procured  for  this  pur- 
pose;  and,  of  all  the  sorts,  the  Gob-nut  grows  to  the  greatest 
length,  and  is  for  the  most  part  straight  and  taper.  The 
butt  end  should  rather  exceed  an  inch  in  diameter.  But  of 
whatever  wood  the  rod  is  composed,  the  shoots  for  stocks, 
middle  pieces,  and  tops,  must  be  of  proper  size,  well-grown, 


304 

and  as  free  from  knots  as  possible.  The  tops  should  be  the 
best  rush-ground  shoots,  without  knots,  and  proportionably 
taper.  The  excrescent  twigs  should  be  cut  off;  but  not 
close,  for  fear  of  hurting  the  bark,  which  ought  never  to  be 
touched  with  a  knife  or  rasp;  for,  although  they  will  dress 
neater,  it  considerably  weakens  them.  These  pieces  are  to 
be  kept  free  from  wet  until  the  following  autumn  ;  when  such 
as  are  wanted  to  form  a  rod  should  be  selected,  and,  after 
being  warmed  over  a  gentle  fire,  -set  as  straight  as  possible, 
and  laid  aside  for  two  or  three  days,  when  they  must  be 
rubbed  over  with  a  piece  of  flannel  and  linseed  oil,  which 
will  polish  and  fetch  off  any  superfluous  bark.  They  are 
then  to  be  bound  to  a  straight  pole,  and  so  kept  until  the 
next  spring,  when  they  will  be  seasoned  for  use.  They 
are  then  to  be  matched  together  in  just  proportion,  in  three, 
four,  or  more  parts,  according  to  the  width  of  the  water  or 
the  wish  of  the  maker ;  taking  care  that  the  different  points 
fit  so  nicely,  if  ferruled,  that  the  whole  rod  may  move  as  if 
it  were  but  one  piece.  If  the  parts  are  not  ferruled,  they 
must  be  cut  to  join  each  other  with  the  utmost  exactness, 
and  neatly  spliced  with  glue,  boiled  very  gently  in  strong 
quick-lime  water,  kept  stirred  until  it  become  smooth  and 
all  alike ;  and  then  they  are  to  be  whipped  over  the  glued 
part  with  waxed  thread. 

Elder,  holly,  yew,  mountain  ash,  and  hip  briar,  are  all  na- 
tives. The  reed  or  cane  rod,  on  account  of  its  lightness  and 
elasticity,  is  the  best  for  fishing  at  the  bottom,  whether  with 
a  running  line  or  float ;  especially  when  angling  for  those 
fish  which  bite  tenderly,  as  roach  and  dace. 

A  rod  of  twelve  feet,  unless  the  wind  be  extremely  unfa- 
vourable, will  cast  a  fly-line  of  fourteen  yards :  but,  if  it  is 
to  carry  a  reel  line,  fourteen  feet  will  be  preferable.  It  is 
useless  to  encumber  yourself  with  an  unnecessary  weight  of 


LINES.  305 

wood  ;  as  the  great  advantage  of  a  light  rod  is,  that  with 
either  hand  you  can  use  it,  and  thus  be  enabled  to  cast  your 
fly  under  bushes,  hollow  banks,  &c.,  where  the  best  trout 
generally  lie,  without  endangering  the  tackle.  The  shorter 
the  joints,  the  more  portable  the  rod  will  be  ;  but  the  fewer 
there  are,  the  better  it  will  open  a  fly  line. 

The  great  defect  in  most  rods  is,  that  the  play  is  in  the 
middle,  owing  to  that  part  being  too  weak,  and  like  a  wagon 
whip.  With  a  rod  of  this  kind,  it  is  impossible  to  strike  or 
command  a  fish  of  any  size. 

Rods  should  not  be  kept  in  too  dry  a  room.  The  practice 
of  steeping  them  in  water  is  bad,  and  will  soon  spoil  them. 
The  rubbing  the  tops  with  sweet  oil  twice  or  thrice  in  the 
season,  will  preserve  them  in  a  serviceable  state.  If  the  rod 
be  hollow,  tie  a  rag  to  the  end  of  a  stick,  dip  it  in  linseed 
oil,  and  rub  it  well  about  the  inside  of  the  different  joints. 


Lines. 

In  making  lines,  every  hair  in  every  link  should  be  equally 
big,  round,  and  even ;  so  that  the  strength  may  be  so  pro- 
portionate that  they  will  not  break  singly,  but  altogether. 
By  carefully  choosing  the  hairs,  they  will  stretch,  and  bear  a 
much  stronger  force  than  when  a  faulty  hair  is  included. 
Never  stain  the  hair  before  twisting.  The  best  hair  will 
easily  be  selected  by  the  eye  ;  and  two  or  three  inches  of  the 
bottom  part  of  the  hair  should  be  cut  off,  as  it  is  generally 
defective.  The  links  should  be  twisted  very  slowly ;  and 
not  lie  harsh,  but  so  as  to  twine  one  with  the  other,  and  no 
more ;  for  a  hard  twisted  line  is  always  weak.  By  mixing 
chestnut,  black,  or  any  other  coloured  hair,  the  line  may  be 
varied  at  pleasure. 


306 

Lines  of  silk  or  hemp  may  be  coloured  by  a  strong  decoc- 
tion of  oak  bark ;  which  resists  the  water,  and  adds  to  their 
durability. 

In  leading  of  lines,  great  care  is  needful  in  balancing  the 
floats  so  nicely  that  a  very  small  touch  will  sink  them.  Some 
use  for  this  purpose  lead  shaped  like  a  barleycorn  :  but  shot 
is  better:  and  for  fine  fishing,  have  a  number  of  small,  in 
preference  to  a  few  large,  shot  on  the  line.  The  lowest  of 
either  should  be  nine  or  ten  inches  from  the  hook. 


Hooks. 

In  choosing  hooks,  those  should  be  preferred  that  are  long 
in  the  shanks,  strong,  and  rather  deep  in  the  bend  ;  the  point 
fine  and  straight,  and  as  true  as  it  can  be  set  to  the  level  of 
the  shank;  which,  for  fly  making,  should  be  tapered  off  to 
the  end,  that  the  fly  may  be  neater  finished.  The  point 
should  be  sharp,  and  the  barb  of  a  proper  length.  Many 
experienced  anglers,  who  have  impartially  tried  both  kinds, 
consider  these  to  be  more  sure  than  the  crooked  hooks;  that 
they  cause  a  smaller  orifice,  and  are  less  liable  to  break  their 
hold.  At  Limerick,  in  Ireland,  the  best  of  these  hooks  are 
manufactured.  A  hook,  whose  point  stands  outwards,  ought 
never  to  be  chosen,  as  it  frequently  scratches  the  fish  without 
laying  hold.  If  the  points  were  somewhat  shorter,  and  the 
barbs  a  trifle  wider,  the  hooks  of  every  maker  would  be  im- 
proved. When  hooks  are  blunt,  a  small  whetstone  will 
restore  their  sharpness  much  better  than  a  file,  which  always 
leaves  them  rough  and  jagged. 

Hooks  to  whip  on: — When  hooks  are  armed,  especially  to 
hair,  it  should  be  done  with  small  but  strong  silk,  well  rubbed 
with  shoemakers'  wax,  after  having  smoothed  the  shank  with 


HOOKS.  307 

a  whetstone,  to  hinder  its  fretting.  From  a  straw's  breadth 
below  the  top  of  the  hook,  wrap  the  silk  about  the  bare 
shank,  until  it  comes  to  the  top  ;  which  will  prevent  its  slip- 
ping, or  cutting  the  line,  from  frequent  use.  Then  lay  the 
hair  or  gut  on  the  inside,  and  whip  the  silk  downwards 
almost  to  the  bend  of  the  hook.  The  colour  of  the  arming 
silk  should  be  as  near  that  of  the  baits  used  as  may  be  ;  and 
its  size  be  regulated  by  the  thickness  of  the  wire  hair,  or  gut, 
to  which  it  is  joined. 

In  whipping  on  a  hook,  it  is  to  be  held  in  the  left  hand, 
and  the  silk  whipped  down  to  within  four  turns  of  its  bend. 
The  shank  is  then  to  be  taken  between  the  forefinger  and 
thumb  of  the  left  hand,  and  the  end  of  the  silk  close  to  it; 
holding  them  both  tight,  and  leaving  the  ends  of  the  silk  to 
hang  down ;  the  other  part  of  the  silk  to  be  drawn  into  a 
large  loop;  and  with  the  right  hand,  turning  backwards, 
continue  the  whipping  for  four  turns,  and  draw  the  end  of 
the  silk,  which  has  hung  down  under  the  left  thumb,  close, 
and  cut  it  off. 


27 


308  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


AN  ABRIDGMENT  OF  THE  GAME  LAWS  NOW  IN  FORCE. 

Note. — A  committee  on  the  Game  Laws  is  now  sitting  in  the 
House  of  Commons;  but  as  the  results  of  their  deliberation 
cannot  be  known  until  after  this  volume  goes  to  press,  I  am 
compelled  to  give  an  abridgment  of  the  statutes  in  force  at  the 
present  moment.  In  a  subsequent  edition,  should  one  be  de- 
manded, the  amendment  will  be  made. 

Time  when  killing  Game  is  prohibited. 

Any  person  who  shall  kill  or  take  any  partridge  between  the 
1st  of  February  and  the  1st  of  September;  or  any  pheasant  be- 
tween the  1st  of  February  and  the  1st  of  October; 

Or  any  black  game  between  the  10th  of  December  and  the  20th 
of  August,  (or  in  Somersetshire,  Devonshire,  or  the  New  Forest, 
between  the  10th  of  December  and  1st  of  September;) 

Or  any  grouse,  called  red  game,  between  the  10th  of  December 
and  the  12th  of  August; 

Or  any  bustard  between  the  1st  of  March  and  1st  of  Septem- 
ber,— is  subject,  on  conviction,  by  two  justices,  to  a  penalty  not 
exceeding  £1  for  every  head  of  game  so  killed  or  taken,  with 
costs. 

Penalty  for  poisoning  Game. 

Any  person  laying  poison  to  kill  game,  is  made  liable  to  a 
penalty  not  exceeding  £10,  with  costs. 


AN  ABRIDGMENT  OF  THE  GAME  LAWS.         309 

Penalty  for  having  Game  at  a  prohibited  time, 
Sec.  4.  Persons  licensed  to  deal  in  game,  (as  after  mentioned,) 
who  shall  buy,  or  sell,  or  have  in  their  possession  any  bird  of 
game,  after  ten  days  (one  inclusive  and  the  other  exclusive,)  from 
the  days  limited,  and  persons  not  licensed,  who  shall  buy  or  sell 
any  bird  of  game  after  such  ten  days,  or  shall  have  in  their  pos- 
session any  bird  of  game  (except  such  as  are  kept  in  a  mew  or 
breeding  place,)  after  forty  days,  shall  be  subject,  on  conviction, 
before  two  justices,  to  a  penalty  not  exceeding  £1  for  every  such 
head  of  game. 

Game  Certificates. 

Sec.  5.  The  act  not  to  affect  the  existing  laws  respecting  game 
certificates.  But  the  10  per  cent,  added,  by  the  late  government 
to  the  assessed  taxes,  raises  the  price  of  a  game  certificate  to 
£4,  Os.  lOd. 

General  qualification  for  every  one. 

Sec.  6.  Every  person  who  shall  have  an  annual  game  certifi- 
cate shall  be  authprized  to  kill  game  (subject  to  an  action  for  any 
trespass  committed  by  him;)  but  no  certificate,  on  which  a  less 
duty  than  £4,  Os.  lOd.  is  chargeable,  shall  authorize  any  game- 
keeper to  kill  or  take  game;  or  use  any  dog,  gun,  net,  or  other 
engine,  except  within  the  limits  of  his  appointment. 

Game,  the  exclusive  properly  of  the  Landlord. 
Sec.  7.  Under  existing  leases,  or  agreements,  made  previous  to 
the  passing  of  this  act,  the  landlord  shall  be  entitled  to  enter  or 
authorize  any  other  person  or  persons,  having  an  annual  game 
certificate,  to  enter  upon  such  land,  for  the  purpose  of  killing  or 
taking  game.  And  no  tenant,  under  such  lease  or  agreement,  shall 
have  the  right  to  kill  or  take  the  game,  on  such  land,  unless  such 
right  is  expressly  granlffl,  or  allowed  to  him  by  Ids  lease  or 
agreement ;  or  except  he  shall  have  paid  a  fine  on  the  granting  or 


310  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

renewal  of  such  lease  or  agreement;  or  the  same  shall  have  been 
made  for  more  than  twenty-one  years. 

Sec.  8,  9,  10.  This  act  not  to  affect  any  existing  or  future 
agreements  respecting  game,  nor  any  rights  of  manor,  forest, 
chase,  or  warren ;  or  any  of  her  majesty's  forest  rights,  or  any 
cattle-gates,  or  right  of  common.  The  lord  of  the  manor,  there- 
fore, is  still  to  have  the  game  on  the  wastes;  and  also  the  right  of 
giving  leave  to  sport  on  the  same,  to  all  persons  who  have  game 
certificates.  , 

Increased  privilege  of  Landlords. 

Sec.  11.  Landlords  having  reserved  to  themselves  the  right  of 
killing  the  game  upon  the  land,  may  authorize  any  other  person 
or  persons  to  shoot,  who  have  obtained  a  game  certificate. 

Penalty  for  Tenant  allowing  People  to  Shoot. 
Sec.  12.  Where  the  landlord  has  the  right  to  the  game,  the 
tenant  shall  not  pursue,  kill,  or  take  the  same;  or  give  permission 
to  any  other  person  so  to  do,  under  a  penalty  on  conviction  before 
two  justices,  not  exceeding  £2,  and  for  every  head  of  game,  not 
exceeding  £1,  with  costs. 

Gamekeepers  and  Deputations. 

Sec.  13,  14.  Lords  of  manors  may  appoint  a  gamekeeper  or 
gamekeepers,  and  authorize  them  to  seize  all  dogs,  &c.,  used 
within  the  manor  by  uncerlificated  persons.  But  it  is  decided  in 
Lidsler  v.  Borrow,  (see  9  Adolphus  and  Ellis,  p.  654,)  that  a 
gamekeeper  authorized  to  seize  the  dogs  of  unqualified  persons 
sporting  on  a  manor,  by  deputation  given  before  stat.  1  &  2  Wil. 
IV.  c.  32,  and  not  renewed,  cannot  justify  seizing  the  dogs  of  un- 
certificated  persons  committing  such  trespass,  since  the  passing 
of  the  act. — Nor  is  he  entitled  to  notice  of  action  under  statute  1 
&  2  Wil.  IV.  c.  32.  s.  47,  on  the  ground  that  he  bond  Jide  sup- 
posed himself  to  be  acting  in  pursuance  of  this  statute. 

Lords  of  manors  may  grant  deputations. 


AN  ABRIDGMENT  OF  THE  GAME  LAWS.  311 


Exclusive  privilege  for  Wales, 

Sec.  15.  Persons  seized  in  fee  or  for  life,  of  lands,  in  Wales,  of 
the  clear  annual  value  of  ,£500;  and  not  within  any  manor,  lord- 
ship, or  royalty,  or  enfranchised  or  alienated  therefrom,  are  au- 
thorized to  appoint  a  gamekeeper  or  gamekeepers,  &c. 

Register  of  Gamekeepers. 

Sec.  16.  No  appointments  of  gamekeepers  to  be  valid  until 
registered  with  the  clerk  of  the  peace. 

Liberty  to  sell  Game. 
Sec.  17.  Certificated  persons  may  sell  game  to  licensed  dealers. 

Persons  admissible  as  Gamekeepers. 

Sec.  18.  The  justices  of  the  peace  of  every  county,  &c.,  shall 
hold  a  special  session  between  the  15th  and  30th  of  October,  and 
in  every  succeeding  year  in  July,  for  granting  licenses  to  deal  in 
game;  and  the  majority,  not  being  less  than  two,  are  authorized 
to  grant  to  any  householder,  or  keeper  of  a  shop  or  stall,  (not  being 
an  innkeeper,  or  Victualler,  or  licensed  to  sell  beer  by  retail;  or 
the  owner,  guard,  or  driver  of  any  mail  coach,  stage  coach,  stage 
wagon,  van,  or  other  public  conveyance;  or  a  carrier,  or  higgler, 
or  in  the  employment  of  any  such  person,)  a  license  to  buy  game 
of  any  person  who  may  lawfully  sell  it;  and  also  to  sell  it  in  one 
house,  shop,  or  stall,  kept  by  him,  and  who  shall  affix  to  the  front 
of  the  house,  shop,  or  stall,  a  board,  with  the  Christian  and  sur- 
name, together  with  the  words,  "Licensed  to  deal  in  Game;'"'' 
and  every  such  license  shall  be  in  force  for  one  year  from  the 
granting  thereof. 

Restrictions  on,  and  Directions  to,  Game  Dealers. 
Sec.  19.  Every  person  who  shall  have  obtained  a  license,  shall 
also  obtain  a  certificate  on  payment  of  £2  duty,  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  game  certificates;  and  no  person  obtaining  a  license  shall 

27* 


312 

deal  in  game  before  he  shall  have  obtained  such  certificate,  under  a 
penalty  of  £20. 

Sec.  20.  Collectors  of  assessed  taxes  to  make  out  a  list  of  per- 
sons who  have  obtained  licenses  to  deal  in  game. 

Sec.  21.  In  cases  of  two  or  more  partners  in  the  same  shop  or 
stall,  only  one  license  is  necessary. 

Sec.  22.  Licensed  persons,  on  being  convicted  of  any  offence 
against  this  act,  to  forfeit  their  license. 

Additional  penally  for  Shooting  without  a  Certificate. 
Sec.  23.  Persons  killing  or  taking  any  game,  or  using  any  dog, 
gun,  &c.  for  the  purpose  of  searching  for,  or  killing,  or  taking  game, 
without  having  a  game  certificate,  subject  to  a  penalty  not  exceed- 
ing £5,  AS  WELL  AS  TO  THE  PENALTY  UNDER  THE  GAME  CERTIFI- 
CATE ACT. 

Penalty  for  taking  Eggs. 

Sec.  24.  Persons  who,  not  having  the  right  of  killing  the  game 
upon  any  land,  nor  having  permission  of  the  person  who  has  such 
right,  shall  wilfully  take  out  of,  or  destroy  the  nest,  upon  such 
land,  the  eggs  of  any  bird  of  game,  or  of  any  swan,  wild  duck,  teal, 
or  widgeon,  or  shall  knowingly  have  in  his  possession  any  such 
eggs  so  taken,  shall,  on  conviction  by  two  justices,  pay  a  sum  not 
exceeding  5s.  for  every  egg,  with  costs. 

Parts  of  the  act  further  relating  to  Licensed  Dealers,  fyc. 

Sec.  25.  Persons  not  having  a  game  certificate,  or  not  licensed  to 
deal  in  game,  who  shall  sell,  or  offer  for  sale,  any  game  or,  having 
a  game  certificate,  shall  sell,  or  offer  for  sale,  any  game  to  any 
person,  except  a  person  licensed  to  deal  in  game,  to  forfeit,  on  con- 
viction by  two  justices,  a  sum  not  exceeding  £2  for  every  head  of 
game  so  sold,  or  offered  for  sale. 

Sec.  26.  Proviso  authorizing  inn  or  tavernkeepers  to  sell  game 
for  consumption  in  their  own  houses,  without  a  license,  such  game 
having  been  procured  from  some  person  licensed  to  deal  in  game. 

Sec.  27.  Persons  not  licensed  to  deal  in  game,  who  shall  buy 


AN  ABRIDGMENT  OF  THE  GAME  LAWS.  313 

it  from  any  unlicensed  person,  to  be  subject  to  a  penalty  on  con- 
viction before  two  justices,  not  exceeding  £5  with  costs. 

Sec.  28.  Licensed  dealers,  buying  game  from  any  person  not 
having  a  game  certificate,  or  a  license  to  deal  in  game,  or  selling, 
or  offering  for  sale,  any  game  at  his  house,  shop,  or  stall,  without 
having  such  board  affixed,  shall  be  subject  to  a  penalty  not  ex- 
ceeding £5.  Proviso  that  the  party  arrested  must  be  discharged, 
unless  brought  before  a  justice  within  twelve  hours;  but  he  may, 
nevertheless,  be  proceeded  against  by  summons  or  warrant. 

Increased  penalty  for  Trespassers,  when  five  or  more  are 
concerned, 

Sec.  32-34.  Where  five  or  more  persons  shall  be  found  with  a 
gun  on  any  land,  or  any  of  her  majesty's  forests,  &c.  in  the  day 
time  (viz.  between  the  beginning  of  the  last  hour  before  sunrise, 
and  the  expiration  of  the  first  hour  after  sunset)  in  pursuit  of  game, 
woodcocks,  &c.  and  shall,  by  violence  or  menace,  endeavour  to 
prevent  any  authorized  persons  from  approaching  for  the  pur- 
pose of  requiring  them  to  quit  the  land,  or  to  tell  their  names  or 
places  of  abode;  each  person  shall  be  subject,  on  conviction  be- 
fore two  justices,  to  a  penalty  not  exceeding  £5,  with  costs. 

Penally  for  trespassing  on  Her  Majesty1 s  Forests,  fyc. 

Sec.  33.  Penalty  for  trespassing  on  her  majesty's  forests, 
parks,  chases,  or  warrens,  in  the  day  time,  on  conviction  before 
one  justice,  not  exceeding  £2. 

Exemption  from  penalty  for  Trespass,  to  Hunters,  Lords  of 
Manors,  4*c. 

Sec.  35.  The  provisions  as  to  trespassers  not  to  apply  to  per- 
sons hunting  or  coursing  with  hounds  or  grey-hounds,  and  being 
in  pursuit  of  any  deer,  hare,  or  fox,  already  started;  nor  to  any 
person  exercising  any  right,  or  reputed  right,  of  free  warren,  or 
free  chase ;  nor  to  any  gamekeeper  within  the  limits  of  a  free 


314  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

warren  or  free  chase ;  nor  to  the  lord,  or  steward  of  the  crown,  of 
any  manor,  or  reputed  manor. 

Game  may  be  taken  from  Trespassers. 

Sec.  36.  Game  may  be  taken  from  trespassers,  who  shall  not 
deliver  up  the  same  when  demanded. 

Imprisonment  in  failure  of  Payment. 

Sec.  38.  Penalties  to  be  paid  immediately  on  conviction;  or  with- 
in such  period  as  the  justice  or  justices  shall  think  fit;  and  in  default, 
the  person  convicted  shall  be  imprisoned  (with  or  without  hard 
labour)  for  a  term  not  exceeding  two  calendar  months,  where  the 
penalty,  exclusive  of  costs  shall  not  amount  to  £5;  and  not  ex- 
ceeding three  calendar  months  in  any  other  case. 

Sec.  40.  The  justices  to  have  power  to  summon  witnesses;  and 
persons  refusing  to  attend,  or  to  be  examined,  to  forfeit  a  sum  no! 
exceeding  £5. 

Time  for  prosecuting  for  Penalties,  fyc. 

Sec.  41.  Prosecutions  to  be  commenced  within  three  calendar 
months  after  commission  of  the  offence. 

Sec.  42.  The  prosecutor  is  not  obliged  to  negative,  by  evidence, 
any  certificate,  license,  &c. ;  but  the  party  seeking  to  avail  him- 
self of  such  defence  to  be  bound  to  prove  it. 

Sec.  43-44.  Convictions  to  be  returned  to  the  sessions  to  which 
persons  convicted  are  entitled  to  appeal. 

No  evasion,  for  want  of  form,  to  be  allowed. 
Sec.  45.  No  summary  conviction,  or  adjudication,  or  appeal, 
shall  be  quashed  for  want  of  form,  or  removed  by  certiorari,  or 
otherwise;  and  no  warrant  of  commitment  shall  be  held  void  for 
any  defect,  provided  it  be  alleged  that  it  is  founded  on  a  convic- 
tion, and  there  shall  be  a  good  and  valid  conviction  to  sustain  it. 


AN  ABRIDGMENT  OF.  THE  GAME  LAWS.  31 5 

Option  for  Prosecutor  to  proceed  by  the  Old  Action,  or  the  New 

Penally  for  Trespass. 

Sec.  46.  This  act  not  to  preclude  actions  for  trespass;  but  no 
action  at  law  shall  be  maintained  for  the  same  trespass,  by  any 
person,  at  whose  instance  or  with  whose  concurrence  or  assent, 
proceedings  shall  have  been  instituted  under  this  act. 

Actions  against  Magistrates  and  Others,  for  any  thing  Done  in 
Pursuance  of  this  Act. 

Sec.  47.  All  actions  for  any  (king  done  in  pursuance  of  this  act, 
shall  be  laid  and  tried  in  the  county  where  the  fact  was  committed ; 
and  shall  be  commenced  within  six  calendar  months,  after  the 
fact  committed,  and  one  calendar  month's  notice  in  writing  given 
to  the  defendant  of  such  action,  and  the  cause  thereof;  and  the  de- 
fendant may  plead  the  general  issue,  and  give  this  act  and  the  spe- 
cial matter  in  evidence;  and  no  plaintiff  shall  recover  in  such 
action,  if  tender  of  sufficient  amends  shall  be  made  before  the  action 
be  brought,  or  a  sufficient  sum  be  paid  into  court  after  such  action 
is  brought. 

Sec.  48.   Tikis  act  not  to  extend  to  Scotland  or  Ireland. 
Old  Game  Laws  not  Repealed. 

Shooting  Certificate  for  1845. 

Penalty  for  shooting  without,  .£20,  which  when  added  to  the  £5 
in  Sec.  23  of  the  new  act,  makes  the  penalty  £25.  One  shooting 
without  a  certificate  is  liable  also  to  a  surcharge ;  for  particulars, 
see  6  and  7  Wil.  IV.  cap.  65.  sec.  8. 

To  be  taken  out  annually,  in  the  parish  or  place  where  our 
assessed  taxes  are  paid. 

For  menial  servants,  hired  as  gamekeepers,  costs  £\  5s.  and  Is. 
fee  to  the  collector :  and  also  the  10  per  cenf.  now  making  altogether 
£l,8s.6d. 

When  demanded  by  any  assessor,  collector,  land-owner,  com- 
missioner, inspector,  surveyor,  occupier  of  land,  also  gamekeeper 


316  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

or  other  person,  provided  the  two  latter  produce  their  certificate*, 
previously  to  requiring  yours, — penalty  for  refusing,  d620. 

If  you  have  not  your  certificate  to  produce,  your  name  and  place 
of  abode  may  be  asked: — see  penalty  for  refusing. 

A  certificate  is  not  only  required  for  killing  game,  but  also  for 
shooting  woodcocks,  snipes,  quails,  landrails,  or  rabbits;  though 
for  the  latter,  open  to  certain  exceptions. 

As  the  clause  is  short,  I  shall  quote  from  it  precisely — "  Every 
person  using  any  dog,  gun,  net,  or  other  engine,  for  the  purpose 
of  taking,  or  killing,  game;  or  any  woodcock,  snipe,  quail,  landrail, 
or  any  conies,  in  Great  Britain,"  &c. 

With  two  exceptions  only — 

"  1st,  The  taking  woodcocks  and  snipes  with  nets  and  springes; 
and,  2dly,  the  taking  or  destroying "  (meaning  shooting  or  any 
other  mode  of  destruction,  it  is  presumed)  "  conies  in  warrens  or 
in  any  enclosed  ground ;  or  by  any  person  on  land  in  his  occupa- 
tion, either  by  himself  or  by  his  directions." 

All  certificates  now  expire  on  the  5th  of  July  in  each  year. 

Gamekeepers, 

With  only  25s.  certificates,  are  subject  to  the  full  penalties  of  un- 
licensed persons;  and  with  even  a  ^64,  Os.  lOd.  certificate,  are  sub- 
ject to  either  the  new  penalty  or  old  action  for  trespass,  if  they 
outstep  the  bounds  of  the  manor,  for  which  they  are  appointed. 

| 

Deputation  of  a  Gamekeeper. 

The  deputation  granted  to  the  gamekeeper  must  be  registered 
with  the  clerk  of  the  peace,  within  twenty  days  after  it  is  granted* 
and  a  certificate  taken  of  the  same,  under  penalty  of  ^§20.  The 
deputation  for  one  keeper  holds  good  till  another  is  appointed. 

If  a  new  gamekeeper  is  appointed  within  the  year,  the  game  cer- 
tificate of  the  former  keeper  may  be  transferred  to  him  for  the 
remainder  of  the  year ;  and  this  must  be  done,  free  of  all  expense, 
by  the  clerk  to  the  commissioners  of  the  district. 


AN  ABRIDGMENT  OF  THE  GAME  LAWS.  317 


Kef  using  to  Give  Names. 

If  you  have  not  a  certificate  to  produce  at  the  time  it  is  called 
for,  your  Christian  and  surnames,  and  place  of  abode,  may  be  de- 
manded, by  any  assessor,  &c.  &c.  (as  before-mentioned  ;)  and  the 
penalty  for  refusing  them,  or  giving  a  false  name,  is 


Tame  Pigeons,  or  House  Doves. 

Unless  they  are  your  own  property,  or  you  are  desired  by  the 
lawful  owner  to  kill  them,  the  penalty  for  shooting  them  is  20s.  for 
each  pigeon.  —  (Under  Statute  of  1  Jac.  I.) 

For  shooting  at  pigeons,  with  intent  to  kill,  the  penalty  would 
(by  2  Geo.  II.)  be  the  same  as  for  killing  one  pigeon,  viz.  20s.  In- 
formation for  these  offences  must  be  laid  within  two  months. 

Dogs. 

Annual  duties  on,  from  the  5th  of  April  1845,  to  the  5th  of  April 
1846. 

All  sporting  dogs,  except  greyhounds,  for  which  there  is  a  duty 
of  £1  for  each  dog;  and  pack  of  hounds  compounded  for,  the  duty 
on  which  is  £36. 

Dogs  exempted  from  Duty. 

Whelps  which  are  not  six  months  old,  at  the  time  of  returning 
your  list  for  taxes. 

Dogs  belonging  to  any  of  the  royal  family,  who  are  exempt  from 
all  duties  on  sporting. 

Poor  persons,  who  are  not  assessed  for  dwelling-houses,  may 
keep  one  dog,  provided  it  be  not  a  sporting  dog. 

Penally  for  Stealing  Dogs. 

By  7  and  8  Geo.  IV.  c.  29,  the  offender,  on  conviction  before  a 
justice  of  peace,  to  forfeit,  for  the  first  offence  (over  and  above  the 
value  of  the  dog,)  a  sum  not  exceeding  £20.  For  the  second 
offence,  to  be  imprisoned  (with  hard  labour,)  not  exceeding  twelve 


318  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

calendar  months,  or  whipped,   at   the  discretion  of  the  justice. 
Sec.  31. 

Persons  found  in  possession  of  a  stolen  dog,  or  the  skin  thereof, 
(knowing  it  to  be  stolen,)  are  liable  to  the  same  penalties.  Sec.  32. 

Trespass. 

We  have  still  the  old  action  for  trespass  against  one  who  goes 
on  land,  <fec.  after  notice;  or  even  if  the  judge  shall  certify,  on  the 
back  of  the  record,  that  the  trespass  was  wilful  and  malicious. 

An  unlicensed  person  may  accompany  a  licensed  sportsman, 
provided  he  has  neither  gun  nor  dogs  of  his  own. 

Exemptions  from  trespass  before  and  after  notice. 
A  person,  even  after  notice,  may  go  on  the  land  of  another  to 
serve  a  subpoena,  legal  writ,  or,  in  short,  for  any  lawful  purpose. 

Specific  instructions  how  to  Warn  off  a  Trespasser. 

Form  of  a  proper  notice  to  be  sent  to,  or  served  on,  any  person 
in  particular : — 

To  of 

I  hereby  give  you  notice,  not  to  enter  or  come  into  or  upon  ary  of 

the  lands,  woods,  underwoods,  shaws,  or  coverts,  [or  into  or  upon 

any  of  the  rivers,  ponds,  pools,  waters,  or  watercourses,]  in  my 

occupation,  in  the  parish  of  in  the  county  of 

as  in  case  of  your  doing  so,  I  shall  proceed  against  you  as  wilful 

trespasser.     Witness  my  hand  this 

day  of  1845. 

Signature. 

Dogs,  Trespass  of. 

An  unqualified  person  cannot  use  dogs  for  sporting,  although 
they  may  be  bonajide  the  property  of  one  who  is  qualified. 

Waste  Land. 

Sporting  on,  the  exclusive  right  of  the  lord  of  the  manor.  It  has 
been  given  as  an  opinion,  that  although  a  person  may,  by  common 


AN  ABRIDGMENT  OF  THE  GAME  LAWS.  319 

rights,  have  the  liberty  of  going,  sending,  or  keeping  his  cattle  on 
the  waste  land,  yet  he  has  no  right  to  go  there  in  pursuit  of  game, 
without  leave  from  the  lord  of  the  manor. 

Free  Warrens  and  Decoys. 

The  game  in  a.  free  warren,  is  considered  as  private  property, 
as  are  also  the  wild-fowl,  <fcc.  within  a  decoy  ;  and  consequently,  a 
person  sporting  on  either  would  be  subject  to  an  action  accord- 
ingly, (with  costs,)  and  without  receiving  any  previous  notice.  The 
exercise  of  free  warren,  however,  is  in  most  cases  now  difficult  to 
be  proved. 

Wild-Fowl. 

Any  one  may  shoot  them  on  the  coast,  from  a  public  path,  &c. 
&c.  where  a  person,  with  neither  permission  from  the  lord  of  the 
manor,  nor  license,  has  a  right  to  carry  a  gun,  provided  he  does 
not  use  it  for  the  destruction  of  game. 

Time  within  which  actions  must  be  brought. 

The  time  prescribed  for  bringing  an  action  of  trespass,  is  six 
years. 


28 


321 


LIST  OF  THE  LONDON  GUN  MAKERS 

FOR  1845. 

Ashton,  T.  15,  Great  Prescott  Street. 

Baker,  T.  K.  1 ,  Stonecutter  Street. 

Baker  and  Son,  24,  Whitechapel  Road. 

Barnett,  J.  E.  134,  Minories. 

Beckwith,  W.  A.  58,  Skinner  Street 

Beattie,  J.,  52,  Upper  Marylebone  Street. 

Bishop,  W.  170,  New  Bond  Street,  (Westley  Richards,  London 

Agent. 

Blanch,  J.,  29,  Gracechurch  Street 
Blissett,  John,  321,  High  Holborn. 
Blissett,!  saac,  69,  Leadenhall  Street. 
Bond,  W.  59,  Lombard  Street. 
Bond,  E.  &  W.,  45,  Cornhill. 
Boss,  T.  73,  St.  James'  Street. 
Braggs,  R.  151,  Strand. 
Braggs,  Robert,  43,  High  Holborn. 
Cherrett,  D.  3,  Old  North  Street,  Red  Lion  Square. 
Child,  W.  280,  Strand. 
Clunn,  R.  2,  Little  Portland  Street. 
Cogswell,  B.  224,  Strand. 
Collins,  J.  115,  Regent  Street. 
Cook,  J.  6,  Well  Street,  Wellclose  Square. 
Deane,  Messrs.  George  &  John,  46,  King  William  Street. 
Dixon,  M.  35,  Castle  Street,  Holborn. 
Egg,  D.  10,  Opera  Arcade. 
Egg,  C.  &H.  1,  Piccadilly. 


322  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY. 

Field,  J.  61,  Leman  Street,  Goodman's  Fields. 

Fisher,  C.  8,  Prince's  Street,  Leicester  Square. 

Forsyth  &  Co.  8,  Leicester  Street,  Leicester  Square. 

Gold  ing,  W.  27,  Davies  Street,  Grosvenor  Square. 

Grierson,  J.  10,  New  Bond  Street. 

Grimshaw,  T.  48,  Whiskin  Street,  Clerkenwell. 

Harding,  W.  69,  Great  Queen  Street. 

Harker,  T.  13,  Bell  Street,  Westminster. 

Hart,  J.  14,  Prince's  Street,  Leicester  Square. 

Hassall,  J.  2  Mincing  Lane,  City. 

Hegley,  W.  27!,  Gloucester  Street,  Commercial  Road. 

Hepinstale,  W.  18,  Swan  Street,  Minories. 

Hett,  J.  21,  Conduit  Street,  New  Bond  Street. 

Hill,  J.  76,  Tooley  Street. 

Holland,  J.  44,  Great  Prescott  Street. 

Jackson,  R.  19,  Prince's  Street,  Lisson  Grove. 

Jackson,  Thomas,  29,  Edward  Street,  Portman  Square. 

Kemp,  J.  115,  Jermyn  Street. 

Lacy  &  Reynolds,  21,  Great  St  Helens. 

Lancaster,  C.  151,  New  Bond  Street. 

Lang,  J.  7,  Haymarket. 

Leigh,  James  fy  John,  Duncan  Street,  Whitechapel. 

Leightfoot,  J.  6,  Dean  Street,  Holborn. 

Ling,  W.  61,  Jermyn  Street. 

Lissant,  John,  53,  Drummond  Street,  Euston  Square. 

London,  E.  51,  London  Wall. 

Long,  J.  8,  Allsop  Place,  Regent's  Park. 

Long,  D.  &  Son,  8,  Old  Cavendish  Street. 

Manton,  G.  6,  Dover  Street,  Piccadilly. 

Marks,  R.  123,  Oxford  Street. 

Mills,  W.  F.  120,  High  Holborn. 

Moore  &  Woodward,  64,  St.  James's  Street. 

Needham,  W.  &  Co.  26,  Piccadilly. 

Nock,  S,  43,  Regent  Circus. 


LIST  OF  LONDON  GUN  MAKERS.  323 

Parker  &  Sons,  233,  High  Holborn. 

Potts,  T.  Hay  don  Square,  Minor  ies. 

Prichett,  R.  E.  59,  Chambers  Street,  Goodman's  Fields. 

Probin,  J.  1 1 ,  Agar  Street,  Strand. 

Purday,  J.  314£  Oxford  Street. 

Reavell,  W.  30,  Southampton  Street,  Strand. 

Reed,  A.  5,  Fountain  Place,  City  Road. 

Reilly,  J.  C.  316,  High  Holborn. 

Ridley,  R.  43,  Chambers  Street,  Goodman's  Fields. 

Riviere,  Isaac,  315,  Oxford  Street. 

Rippon  &  Burton,  12,  Well's  Street,  Oxford  Street. 

Sargant  &  Brothers.  2,  Coleman  Street  Buildings. 

Scott,  W.  &  K.  27,  Leman  Street,  Goodman's  Fields. 

Sharp,  W.  7,  Little  Alie  Street,  Goodman's  Fields. 

Smith,  J.  &  Son,  4,  Thavies'  Inn,  Holborn. 

Smith,  S.  &  C.  64,  Prince's  Street,  Leicester  Square. 

Smith,  W.  2,  Thomas  Street,  Grosvenor  Square. 

Stringer,  W.  104,  White  Lion  Street,  Pentonville. 

Sturman,  G.  25,  East  Road,  City  Road. 

Sturman,  B.  42,  Kingslaml  Road. 

Tatham,  H.  37,  Charing  Cross. 

Tipping  &  Lawden,  20,  Bartlett's  Buildings, 

Walters,  G.  7,  Guilford  Place,  Spafields. 

White,  E.  3,  Worcester  Street,  Old  Gravel  Lane. 

W^hitehead,  T.  117,  Dorset  Street,  Fleet  Street. 

Wilkinson,  J.  &  Son,  27,  Pall  Mall. 

Williams,  J.  67,  Threadneedle  Street. 

Wilson,  A.  141,  Drury  Lane. 

Witton,  J.  82,  Old  Broad  Street. 

Woods,  W.  1,  Q,ueen  Street,  South wark  Bridge  Road. 

Yeomans  &  Son,  68,  Chambers'  Street,  Goodman's  Fields. 

28* 


INDEX. 


Page 

Abridgment  of  the  Game  Laws,    -  308 

Accidents  with  guns,  How  to  guard  against,    -  186 
Age  of  the  Horse,  marks  of  the,    - 

Albert,  Prince;  his  Beagles,   -                          -  -             145 

Alterative  medicine  for  the  Hunter,            •             -  30 

Annoyances  of  a  master  of  foxhounds,              •  -              118 

Ants' Eggs,  excellent  food  for  young  Game,         •  271 

Apperley,  Mr.,  on  the  condition  of  hunters,     -  38 

Appointments  of  sportsmen,          -             -             •  -97 

April,  flies  proper  in,  for  fishing,          ...  295 
August,  flies  prop'er  in,  for  fishing,             ...       295 

Backs  of  Hunters,  Sore;  Treatment  of,            -  78 

Bait  for  perch,      -                           *                           -  295,  296 

Bantams,  the  best  for  rearing  partridges,  &c.,  269 

Barrels  of  a  gun,  their  length,  gauge,  &c.,  -       149 

Barrels;  Which  of  the,  should  be  first  discharged,  -              199 

Bastard  Plover,  or  Pee-wit,  The,  -                           -  -       235 

Baths  in  kennels,        -  112 

Beagle,  The,                                                                -  142,  144 

Beaufort,  Duke  of ;  his  kennel,            -  112 

Bedford,  Duke  of;  his  immense  kennel,  -  109 

Bells  attached  to  the  necks  of  pointers,  •             215 

Bilcock,  or  Water  rail,  The,                       -             -  -       238 

Bilious  complaints  in  dogs;  remedy*  261 

BIRDS  usually  followed  by  Sportsmen;  List  of,  -  -       228 

Birds  of  Prey,  best  means  of  destroying,  273 


326  INDEX. 


Birmingham  Guns,                         -  -       147 

Bitches  with  litters;  Management  of,  -  104 

Bittern,  The;  its  habits,   -             -  -       228 

Black-chin  Grebe,  The,                        -  .             .             230 

Black-cock,  The,  -       229 

Black  Duck,  Black  Diver,  or  Scoter,  The,  -             -             237 

Black  Game  Shooting,      ...  -       219 

Bladder,  disorders  of  the,  in  horses;  and  treatment,      •  91 

Bleed  a  dog;  directions  how  to,    -             -  -                    115 

Bleeding  a  horse;  discretion  to  be  observed  in,  44 

Blindness  in  horses,  83 

Blinkers  on  greyhounds,  when  to  be  used,  -                          279 

Blissett,  John,  gunmaker,  commended,     •  148 

Bog-spavin,  and  its  treatment,  -                             88 

BREAKING  of  DOGS,  rules  for,            -  -  244,  247,  249 

Breeching,  Wilkinson's  counter  parabolic,  -                            ]50 

BREEDING  of  HOUNDS,       -  -   100,  103,  105 

Brent  Goose,  The       -             -  -                          229 

Broken  in;  When  the  Hunter  should  be,  •  23 

Brood  mares,  on  the  condition  of,        -  20 

Bruise  in  the  joint  of  a  dog,                        -  -       258 

Bnrrough  Duck,  or  sheldrake,  The,     -  237 

Bustard,  The,       -  -       229 

Canker  in  the  ear  of  a  dog,  medicine  for,  •     261,  262 

Canker  in  the  teeth  of  a  dog,  cure  for,       -  -       259 

Cannon-powder  recommended  for  large  guns,  168 

Capercailzie,  The,                                      -  -       229 

Caps  (copper)  of  a  gun,  152 

Carelessness  in  holding  a  gun,  deprecated,  -       185 

Carrying  a  gun,  directions  for  properly,  186 

Cartridges,  Eley's,  the  blue;  the  red,        -  173,  174 

Casts,  judicious  and  injudicious,  in  hunting,  -             -     126,  127 

Cataract  in  hunters,  its  causes  and  cure,   -  83 

Cautery,  the  actual,  as  a  cure  for  blemishes,  51 

Certificate  for  killing  game,                        -  -  309,  315,  316 

for  selling  game,     -  311,312 

penalty  for  shooting  without,   -  312,  315 

for  servants  hired  as  Gamekeepers,  315 

Charging  a  gun,  directions  for,      -  183 

Check  Collars,  &c.,  absurd,    -             -  247 

Cleaning  a  gun,  directions  for,      -  -       176 

Clothes,  proper  and  improper,  for  fishing,  -                          297 


INDEX.  327 

Page 

Cock,  or  striker  of  a  gun,        -            -            -            -  152 

Cockney  Sportsmen, 

Cock  shooting,                          -             -             -             -  215 

Cold,  in  hunters ;  its  causes  and  cure,         -             -  -79 

Coleman,  Error  of  Professor,  as  to  the  frog  of  the  hunter,  63 

Colour  of  pointers,  The  best,  -                          -  241 

Colt,  Treatment  of  the,      -  22 

CONDITION  of  BROOD  MARES,      - 

Condition  of  the  stallion,    - 

Condition,  Bringing  the  colt  into, 

Conies  in  warrens,  &c.  may  be  destroyed,              -  316 

Coop  for  young  pheasants,  &c.  proper  site  for,  - 

Copper  caps  of  a  gun ;  their  qualities,         -             -  -       152 

Coot,  The,       ......  230 

Cordials  for  a  distressed  hunter,    -            -             -  -         44 

Corncrake,  The,  or  landrail,     -  234 

Corns,  preventive  and  cure  of,       -                          -  72 

COURSING,  -  278 

The  laws  of,  280 

Local  rules  of,              -             -             -            -  285 

General  rules  of,  -                          -             -  -       284 

Cough,  Chronic,  in  hunters,     -             -             -            -  81 

Coverts,  How  to  know  whether  they  have  been  infringed,         269 

Coverts;  Directions  for  drawing  the,          «•  124 

Covert  shooting,  Proper  gun  for,          -             -            -  157 
Cracker,  The,      .......       235 

Creeps,  in  coverts,  should  be  stopped,  -                          -  267 

Cross,  in  dogs;  Utility  of  a,                         -            -  -       248 

Curbs,  and  treatment,               ....  86 

Curlew,  The,        ......       230 

Curtis  and  Harvey's  powder  commended,                      -  168 

Cushat,  or  Wood  pigeon,  The,       -  236 

Daker  Hen,  The,  or  Corncrake,            -             -            -  234 

Dealers  in  game,  Regulations  as  to  311,  312 

Decoys,  The  Wild-fowl,  &c.  in,  private  property,          -  319 

DEER  STALKING,          -  -       226 

Deputations  and  Gamekeepers,                                        -  310,316 

Destruction  of  vermin,  how  to  be  accomplished,      -  -       273 

Destruction  of  Birds  of  Prey;  How  to  effect  the,  273 

Destruction  of  Game,  by  guns,  &c.                          -  -       267 

Detonating  system,  The,  of  Guns,          -            -            -  146 

Devon  and  Somerset  staghounds,  The,      -            -  142 


328 


INDEX. 


Page 

Devonshire,  Black  Game  shooting  in,  -      219 
Diet.     See  Pood. 

Distance  to  be  allowed  game  when  crossing,  &c.  190, 196,  204,  217 

Distemper,  The,  in  Dogs,  -             255 

Distress,  Treatment  of  the  Hunter  after,     -  -  41,  43 

Diver,  The  Black,  or  Scoter,    -  237 

Dog;  Bruise  in  the  joint  of  a,  treatment,     -  -       258 

Dog;  Characteristics  of  a  good  young,  or  puppy,          -  104 

Dog;  How  to  bleed  a,       -  115 

Dog;  How  to  obtain  a  good,    -  -                          244 

Dog;  Value  of  a  good,      -  -             -       242 

Dogs,  Annual  duties  on,                         -  -             -             317 

The  distemper  in,     -  -       255 

DOGS,  DISORDERS  of  255 

How  to  administer  medicines  to,       -  -      254 

Penalty  for  stealing,                      -  -             -             317 

DOGS,  BREAKING  of;  Rules  for  the,        -  -  242,  247,  249 

Dogs,  Canker  in  the  ears  of;  Medicine  for,  -             -     261,  262 

teeth  of;  Cure  for,       -  -      259 

Dogs,  Check  Collars,  &c.  for;  absurd,"  -  247 

Dogs,  Sporting;  Breeding  and  Breaking  of,  240,  275 

Dogs,  the  Flogging  of,  how  to  be  conducted,  -             -     242,  250 

Dogs,  Trespass  of,  by  an  unqualified  person,  -       318 

Dog- spears,  where  useful  or  dangerous,  268 

Dotterel,  The,        ...  -       231 

Double  Scoter,  The,     -  238 

Double  Shots,        -             -  -       201 

Doves,  tame;  Shooting  of,        -  317 

Drafting  hounds,  Directions  for,      -  124 

Drawing  coverts,  Directions  for,           -  124 

Dress,  &c.  for  following  hounds,    -  97 
Dress,  proper  and  improper,  for  fishing, 

Dress  for  Snipe  Shooting,  -       218 

Ducks;  wild-fowl  under  the  title  of,       -  231 

Duck-gun,  its  proper  qualities,       -  157 

Dust  shot,  useless,        -  171 

Ear,  Canker  in  a  dog's;  remedy,    -             -  •  261,  262 
Eared  grebe,  The, 

Early  shooting,  in  the  morning,  improper,  -  -       208 

Ears  of  Dogs,  torn ;  Medicine  for,  .             258 

Egg,  Mr.  the  gunmaker,  and  his  guns,       -  148 

Eggs  of  game,  Penalty  for  taking,  312 


INDEX.  329 

Page 

Eggs  of  pheasants  and  partridges ;  Purchasing  of,  -            -  270 

;  Rearing  from,  270 

Egyptian  geese,    -                                                     -  232 

Eider  duck,  The,  -  -  231 
Eley's  cartridges,  for  what  useful  -  -  173,  220,  273 
Elevation  of  a  gun  ;  On  the  proper,  ...  154,155 

England  the  country  of  the  perfect  foxhound,                      -  101 

Ephemerae  on  the  waters,  to  be  imitated,  in  fishing,      -  294 

Evening,  the  best  time  for  fishing,              ...  297 

Exercise  for  greyhounds,  &c.  recommended,  -  276 

Exercise  and  Gallops  for  the  Young  Hunter,                       -  33 

Exhaustion  in  the  Hunter;  Remedy  for.  43 

Eye  of  the  horse,  Disorders  of,       -            -             -  83 

Eyes,  films  over  the,  of  dogs;  cure,      -  262 

Fallow  deer,                      .....  226 

Fast  dogs,  inconvenient,          -             -             .  240 

Fast  work  must  be  done,  by  dogs,  to  obtain  fine  condition,  277 

February,  Flies  proper  in,  for  fishing,                                   -  295 

Feeding  of  hounds,  -  111 
Feet  of  horses,  Treatment  of,  -  -  56, 68,  73 
Feet,  Disorders  of  dogs',  -  -  260,261 

Fever  in  the  feet  of  horses,                          .             -             -  73 

Films  over  the  eyes  of  dogs ;  cure,       ...  263 

Fish  hooks,  Directions  for  choosing,           -  306 

FISHING,       -   „                      -             -             -             -  293 

Fishing  lines,  Management  of,                     -             -             -  305 

Fishing  rods,  Wood  for,  proper  qualities  of,  &c.  303 

Fits  of  dogs  ;  Treatment  for,          ....  262 

Flasks,  Powder ;  Egg's  and  Sykes',    -                          -  183 

Fleas,  in  dogs ;  preventive  and  cure,                       -             -  260 

Flies,  knowledge  of,  the  first  requisite  in  a  fisher,  293 

Flies  in  general  use,  in  each  month,            -             -             -  295 

Flies  (Water)  change  their  hues,           ...  296 

Flint  gun,  Parts  of  the  lock  of  a,     -             -             -             -  181 

Flint  guns  superior  in  force  to  detonating,         -             -  150 

Flogging  of  dogs,  how  to  be  regulated,      -             -             -  242 

Food  for  brood  mares,                                                      .  21 

Food  of  Hunters,  previous  to  going  to  hounds,       -             -  31 

Food  of  greyhounds,  when  training,    -  277 

Food,  proper  and  improper,  for  hounds,    -                           -  114 

Food  for  young  partridges  and  pheasants,                      -  271 

Foot-lameness  in  the  Hunter ;  Causes  and  treatment  of,     -  59 


330  INDEX. 

Page 

Forests,  Penalty  for  trespassing  on  the  royal,  -  313 

Forrester,  Mr.  of  Willy  Hall,  Anecdote  of,  98 

FOXHOUND,  BREEDING  of  the,        -  100 

FOXHUNTING,-  -  -  101 
Foxhunting,  formerly  and  now,  compared,  -  -  26,  98 
Free  Warrens  and  Decoys,  Game  in,  private  property,  -  319 

French  partridge,  The,    "  233 

Frog;  Errors  of  Professor  Coleman  as  to  the,  63 

Gallinule,  The  spotted,  238 

Gallops  and  Exercise  for  the  young  Hunter,  33 

Game;  Beating  for,     -  201 

Game,  Destruction  of,  by  gins,  &c.  -       267 

Game,  Liberty  to  sell,                           -  311 

Game,  Penalty  for  poisoning,         -  308 

Game,  Prohibited  time  for  killing,  308 

Game,  Preservation  of;  directions  for  the,  -  -       266 

Game,  Penalty  for  having,  at  a  prohibited  time,  309 

Game,  the  property  of  the  landlord,  -       309 

Game,  The,  in  free  warrens,  private  property,  -  319 

Game,  what,  under  the  Game  Acts,  308,  316 

GAME  usually  followed  by  sportsmen,  List  of,  228 

Game  certificates,                            -  309,  316 

Game  certificate,  Production  of,  may  be  called  for,        -  315 

Game  dealers,  Regulations  as  to,   -  311 

Gamekeeper's  Certificate,  316 

Gamekeepers,  Certificate  for  servants  hired  as,       -  -       315 

Gamekeepers  and  deputations,  310 

Gamekeepers  outstepping  the  bounds  of  the  manor,  -       316 

Gamekeepers,  Persons  admissible  as,    -  311 

Gamekeepers,  Register  of,              -                          -  311 

GAME  LAWS,  Abridgment  of  the,    -  308 

Game  laws,  Old,  not  repealed,       -  -315 

Gannet,  Gan,  or  Solan  Goose,  231 

Gapes,  The;  cure  for,  in  young  pheasants,  -       272 

Gaps  in  coverts,  should  be  stopped,      -  267 

Garganey,  The,    -  231 

Gate,  riding  over  a,  unnecessarily,       -  139 

Gauge,  The  proper,  for  gun-barrels,  -       149 

General  rules  of  coursing,  283 

Getting  well  away  with  hounds,  Necessity  of,  131 

Gid,  or  jacksnipe,  234 

Gin,  The  common,  the  most  destructive  of  game,  -  -      267 


INDEX.  331 

Page 

Gins,  recommended  for  the  destruction  of  vermin,  -      273 

Godwit,  The,               -                                       -  231,233 

Golden-eye,  The,               -            -            -             •  -      232 

Golden  plover,  The,  -  235 

Good  dog;  how  to  obtain  one,       -  -      244 

Goodwin  on  the  diseases  of  the  feet  of  Hunters,  -               75 

Goose,  Different  kinds  of  Wild,    -  -       232 

Goose,  The  Brent,      .....  229 

Gorcock,  or  Moorcock,  The,        -                          -  234 

Grain  of  gunpowder,  proper  size  of,    -  168 

Grasp,  or  grip,  of  a  gun,               -  158,  163 

Grass,  a  summer's,  and  a  summer's  rest,  47 

Grass;  Treatment  of  the  Hunter  when  coming  from,  27 

Graylag,  or  Wild-goose,  232 
Gray  Plover,  The,            -                           ...      235 

Great  Black  Duck,  The,                                      -  -             238 

Great  Plover,  The,            -             -             -             -  -       235 

Grebes,  Various  kinds  of,                                   -  233 

Greekshanked  Godwit,  or  Greenlegged  Horseman,  -       233 

Green  wound,  in  a  dog,  Medicine  for,  259 

GREYHOUNDS,  their  breeding  and  treatment,  -       275 

Grooms,  Errors  of,  in  practice,                           -  -               33 

Grouse,  Various  kinds  of,              -             -             -  -       233 

GROUSE  SHOOTING,      -            -            -  212 

Guernsey  or  French  Partridge,     -  -       233 

Guns,  accidents  with;  How  to  guard  against,  -  186 

GUN,  Directions  for  the  choice  of  a,        -             -  147 

Gun,  Directions  for  cleaning  a,            -  176 

Gun,  Names  of  the  parts  of  a,                                  -  -       164 
GUN,  Proper  management  of  the,      -               146,  166,  183,  185 

The  Flint  and  the  Detonating,  146,  150 

Which  barrel  of  a,  should  be  first  discharged,  -       199 

GUNMAKERS,  London;  List  of,      -  321 

Gunmakers  recommended,                          -  147,  148 
Gunpowder.     See  Powder. 

Half-cock,  when  proper  and  improper,  -     187,  196 

Hare,  The  Common,  and  the  White  or  Alpine,    -  -       234 

HARE,  Coursing  the,                            -  -             278 

Harrier,  The,        -                                                      .  .       143 

Hawker,  (Colonel,)  on  the  elevation  of  a  Gun,  154 

Hawker,  (Colonel,)  on  Wild-fowl  shooting,            -  -       160 

Heading  a  fox  back,  on  breaking  covert,          -  -             129 
29 


332  INDEX. 

Page 

Hens,  employed  to  rear  pheasants  and  partridges,  -       269 

Hinds,  Mr.,  on  colds  of  hunters,  80 

Hold  a  gun  safely,  when  shooting;  How  to,  -       200 

Honey  wood's  (Mr.)  beagles,  -  145 

Hoof  of  the  Hunter;  its  proper  form,        -  58 

Hooks,  Fish-,  directions  for  choosing,  306 

Hooks  to  whip  on,  How  to  make,  -       306 

Horse,  A,  should  be  known  before  riding  to  hound,  -             141 

Discretion  to  be  observed  in  bleeding,           -  43 

Knowledge  of,  before  use,  indispensable,  141 

See  also  Hunter. 

Horses,  Blindness  in,       -  83 

Treatment  of  the  feet  of,  56,  68,  73 

Horses,  age  of,  Marks  of  the,       -  93 

HOUNDS,  BREEDING  of,              -             -  -    100,103 

Directions  for  Drafting,    -             -    ,  -       124 

Dress  proper  for  following  the, 

Getting  well  away  with;  Necessity  of,     -  -       135 

Lifting;  Unsportsmanlike  practice  of,  127 

Hounds,  beauty  of  a  level  pack  of,             -  -       106 

HOUNDS,  Method  of  RIDING  STRAIGHT  TO,  -  135 

Hound,  The  pace  of  the,  formerly  and  now,  26 

Hounds,  now,  very  different  from  those  of  other  days,  103 

How  to  administer  medicine  to  dogs,        -  -       254 

HUNTING,              -  97,117,135 

In  the  remote  periods  of  history,  -       101 

Past  and  present  state  of,  contrasted,  -  -        26,  98 

Hunters,  Diseases  of  the  eye  in,  - 

Disorders  of;  and  treatment,  59,  68,  76 

Hunters,  lords  of  manors,  &c.,  Privilege  of, 

Mr.  Apperley  on  the  condition,  38 

HUNTERS,  their  breeding  and  condition,  19 
Hunter,  the;  Bringing  him  into  work, 
Hunter,  Treatment  of  the,  previous  to  going  to  hounds,    - 
Hunter,  Treatment  of  the,  after  being  out  with  hounds, 

Hunter,  Treatment  of  the,  at  the  close  of  the  season,  46,  51 

Hutch  traps,  Utility  and  inconvenience  of,  -       273 
HUNTSMAN,  Qualifications  and  duties  of  the, 
Hydrophobia,  Preventive  for, 

Inflammation  of  the  eye,  in  horses,      -  84 

kidneys,  in  horses,     -  90 

Inner-sole  of  horses'  feet,  Disorders  of  the,     -  74 


INDEX.  333 

Page 

Jacksnipe,  Judcock,  Gid,  or  .Tetcock,  -       234 
Jetcock  or  Jacksnipe,  - 

Judcock,  or  Jacksnipe,       -----       234 
July,  Flies  proper  in,  for  fishing, 

June,  Flies  proper  in,  for  fishing,    -  -       295 

Keep  your  temper,       -----    195,  251 

KENNEL,  The,    -             -             -             -  -             -       1 07 

Kennel  management,  - 

Kennel,  proper  construction  of,      -  -       108 

Kennel  servants,  should  be  overlooked,  114 

Kennels  of  the  Dukes  of  Bedford,  Richmond,  &c.  -             108,  109 

Kidney,  Distemper  hanging  in  a  dog's,  •             259 

Kidney's,  Inflammation  of  the,  in  horses,    -  -         90 

Killing  game  handsomely,  explained,    - 

Kincs  of  England  great  foxhunters,             -  -             ^102 

Knot,  The,       -             -             -             -             -  -             234 

Know  your  horse  before  riding  to  hounds,  •       141 

Lameness,  in  the  Hunter ;  Causes,  and  treatment, 

Lancaster's  barrel-boring  commended,       -  -             -       147 

Lancaster's  and  Long's  side-primer,      -             -  -             159 

Landlord,  Game  the  property  of  the,          -  309 

Landlords,  Increased  privilege  of,  310 

Landrail,  Daker  Hen,  or  Corncrake,           -  234 

Lapwing,  Bastard' Plover,  or  Pee-wit,  -  -             235 

Lash,  The,  to  be  rarely  used  to  dogs,  -           242,  250 

Laughing  goose,                       -             -             -  -             233 

LAWS  of  COURSING,     -             -             -  -             -       280 

Leaping,  Directions  and  cautions  as  to,             -  -              140 

Legs  of  Hunters;  Disorders  of  the,  -  77,  87 

Level,  Necessity  of  obtaining,  in  shooting,        -  -             190 

Level  pack  of  hounds,  Beauty  of  a,            -  -             -       106 

Licence  for  killing  game,                                      -  311,  315,  316 

selling  game,  -                           -  -                     311 

Licensed  dealers  in  game,  Regulations  as  to,    -  -    311,312 

Lifting  greyhounds  ;   when  to  be  practised,  -       279 

Lifting  fox-hounds;  when  proper  and  improper,  126 

Lights,  A  dog  seized  with  hovering  in  the ;  cure,  -             -       263 

Lines,  Fishing-;  management  of,  -             305 

Litters,  bitches  with ;  Management  of,       -  104 

Little  Grebe,  The,        -  233 

Loading  a  gun,  Directions  for,       -             -  -            166,  186 


334  INDEX. 

Page 

Local  Rules  of  Coursing,  -----       285 
Locks  of  a  gun,  ....         150,164,178 

Locks  of  a  gun,  How  to  take  to  pieces  and  put  together,  -       179 

London  Gunmakers,    -             -             -                           -  147,  321 

Long's  Side  Primer,                                     -             -  -       159 

Long  shots ;  how  to  be  taken,  205 

Long-legged  Plover,  The,  -  236 

Lord  of  the  manor,  only,  can  sport  on  waste  lands,       -  319 

Lords  of  manors,  &c.,  Exemption  in  favour  of,       -  313 

MASTER  of  FOXHOUNDS;  Duty,  and  Troubles  of  a,  118 

Madness,  Canine  ;  Preventive  for,  259 

Maggots,  a  good  substitute  for  ants'  eggs,  -       271 

Magistrates,  &c.,  Actions  against,  in  game  matters,      -  317 

Mainspring  of  a  gun,  The,  151,164 

Mallard,  the  drake  of  the  wild  duck,     -  235 

Mange,  Causes  of,  and  cure,  259,  264 

Manor,  Lord  of  the,  only,  can  sport  on  waste  lands,      -  319 

Manors,  lords  of,  &c.,  Exemption  of,  -       313 

Manton's  (Joe,)  elevation  of  a  gun,       -             -  155 

March,  Flies  proper  in,  for  fishing,  -       295 
MARES,  BROOD,  Choice  of;  their  requisites  and  treatment,      20 

Marked  in ;  How  to  act  when  game  is,             -  203 

Markers,  when  highly  expedient,  -  210,  215 

Master,  Eye  of  the,  necessary  in  the  kennel,  &c.  114 

MASTER  of  FOXHOUNDS;  DUTY  of  a,  ^       117 

May,  Flies  proper  in,  for  fishing,                         -  295 

MEDICINE  to  DOGS,  How  to  administer,  -       254 

Meets,  Hints  for  proper  fixing  of  the,    •  122 

Method  of  riding  straight  to  hounds,  -       135 

Minnows,  proper  for  trout-fishing,        -             -  299 

Minnow,  Spinning  a;  for  killing  trout,        -  -       298 

Moor  hen,  or  Water  hen,  The,             -             -  238 

Moorcock,  The,    -             -              -             -             -  233 

Moore,  Mr.  the  gunmaker;  his  guns,   -  148 

Morillon,  The,      -             ...  -       235 

Morning  shooting,  unproductive,          -  208 

Mouth  of  a  horse  at  different  ages,  94 

Names,  &c.,  of  persons  shooting,  may  be  demanded,    -  316,  317 

Nets;  Snipes  and  Woodcocks  may  be  taken  with,  -       316 

New  Forest,  Somersetshire;  Black  Game  Shooting  in,  -  218 

Newfoundland  dog,  the  best  retriever,       -  -      253 


INDEX.  335 

r*  —  ""• 

Page 

Nervousness  in  shooters,  -       188 

Nipple,  The,  of  a  gun,                                        -             -  152,181 

Nipple  probe,  a  necessary  appendage,      -  183 

Nock,  Mr.  the  gunmaker;  his  guns,   -  148 

North  American  Quail,  The,        -  -       236 

Ointments,  detergent,  for  sore  backs  of  Hunters,  78 

Old  dogs  to  be  preferred,  -       250 

Old  Game  Laws  not  repealed,  316 

Old  School,  The,  as  to  dress  and  appointments,    -  97 

Over-reach,  precautions  against  the,    -  66 

Partridges,  their  rarity  and  wildness  now;  and  causes,  -       207 

Partridges'  eggs;  Purchasing  of,  for  rearing,    -  269 

Partridges'  nests  destroyed  by  being  cut  out  of  grass,  -       270 

PARTRIDGE  SHOOTING,  207 
PARTRIDGES,  REARING  of,  under  DOMESTIC  HENS,  269 

Partridges  reared  under  liens;  Courage  of,  -       271 

Pee-wit,  The,  or  lapwing,      -  235 

Pellets  in  the  various  Nos.  of  patent  shot,  -       173 

Penalties,  Imprisonment  on  failure  of  paying,               -  313 

Penalties,  Time  for  prosecuting  for,  -       314 

PERCH  FISHING,  301 

Pheasants;  How  to  keep  them  at  home,                -  -       268 
PHEASANTS,  REARING  of,  under  DOMESTIC  HENS,  269 

PHEASANT  SHOOTING,      -  -       213 

Pheasants'  eggs,  "Purchasing  of,  for  rearing,     -  269 

Piiysic  for  the  hunter,      -  -  26,  30 

Pigeons,  Varieties  of  the,       -  235 

Pigeons,  tame,  or  house  dove;  Shooting  of,  -       317 

Pigeon  gun,  its  proper  qualities,         -  162 

PIKE  FISHING,                                                   -  -       300 

Pintail  duck,  The,     -  235 

Playing  a  fish  till  he  be  tired,  absurd,       -  -       296 

Plover,  Varieties  of  the,                                                    -  234,235 

Poacher,  The  ancient  and  the  modern,     -  -       208 

Poacher,  his  use  of  the  gin,    -  267 
Poacher,  patronized,  by  the  Purchase  of  the  eggs  of  game,      269 

Poaching  and  trespassing,  Penalties  for,             308,  313,  315,  316 

POINTER;  BREEDING  and  BREAKING  of  the,  -      240 

Pointer,  Description  of  the  points  of  a,  248 

Points  of  a  Hound  described,  -        100 

Points  of  a  Greyhound,                                      -             -  275 

29* 


336  INDF.X. 

Page 

Points  of  a  Setter,  -       248 

Poisoned;  Cure  when  a  dog  is,           -  259 

Poisoning  game,  Penalty  for,      -  -       308 

Poking  shot,  A,  contemptible,  192 

Pole-cats,  weasels,  &c.  How  to  destroy,  -       273 

Pool-snipe,  The,  or  Sand-cock,  236 

Position  to  be  selected,  at  the  covert,        -  -       137 

Powder  flasks,                                                    -  182 

Powder  proper  for  shooting,        -  167 

Powder,  Proper  measure  of,  -             -             -             -  171 

PRESERVATION  OF  GAME.             -  -       266 
Preserve  your  temper,                                                       -     195,  251 

Prince  Albert;  Beagles  of,  145 

Prohibited  time  for  killing  Game,       -  308 

Prohibited  time,  Penalty  for  having  game  at,  -       309 
Prosecution  of  trespassers,      -                                      313,315,319 

Ptarmigan,  or  white  grouse,  -       234 

Pumiced  feet,  preventives  and  cure,    -  69 

Punch  for  cutting  wadding,  -       175 

Punt  gun,  proper  qualities  of  the,        -  159 

PUPPIES,  PROPER  MANAGEMENT  OF,    -  -       240 

Puppy,  Characteristic  of  a  good,  104 

Purdey,  his  guns  commended,     -  -       148 

Purges  for  Hunters,  28,  91 

Purges  for  Dogs,  -       261 

Quail,  The,  -  236 

Qualification  for  killing  game,      -  -       309 

Quick-shooting  and  snap- shooting,     -  193 

Quiet,  necessary  for  the  Preservation  of  game,      -  -       267 
Quietness  while  shooting,  recommended,                       -     201,  210 

Rabbit,  The,       -  236 

Ram-rod,  Qualities  of  a  good,  154 

Rapid  firing,  generally  improper,  -       191 

Rarity  of  Game  now-a-clays,  -  20". 

Rating  hounds,  when  and  how  proper,     -  -       131 
REARING   PHEASANTS  and  PARTRIDGES  under 

DOMESTIC  HENS,              -  269 

Reckless  and  rash  riding,  deprecated,  138 

Recoil  of  duck  guns,  how  to  prevent,        -  161 

Red  taint,  or  Mange;  Cure  for  the,      -  263 

Red-breasted  geese,  232' 


INDEX.  337 

Page 

Red  deer,             ......  226 

Red-legged  Horseman,  The,  -  236 

Red-shank,  or  Sand-cock,  The,    -                           -             -  236 

Reeve,  The,  -  237 
Refusal  to  give  names,  or  produce  certificates,     -               -317 

Register  of  gamekeepers,        -             -             -             -  311 

Rest  and  refreshment,  necessary  after  sport,          -             -  197 

Retrievers,  What  dogs  the  best,           ...  253 

Rheumatism  in  dogs;  Treatment  for,        ...  263 

Richards,  Westley;  character  of  his  guns,       •  147 

Richmond,  Duke  of ;  his  kennel  at  Goodwood,     -             -  108 

RIDING  STRAIGHT  to  HOUNDS;  Directions  for,  135 

Riding  timidly,  Danger  in,                          ...  138 

Ring  dove,  or  Wood  pigeon,  The,        ...  236 

Ring  dotterel,  Ring  plover,  or  Sea  lark,    -             -  231 

ROARING;  4ts  causes  and  treatment,  79 

RODS,  FISHING;  Wood  for,  &c.,         -                          -  303 

Roebuck,  The,                                                     -             -  226 

Ruff,  The,    •--....  237 

Running-rein  Fraud,  -                           ...  93 

Rutland,  Duke  of;  his  kennel  at  Belvoir,  -                          -  108 

Sand-crack,  and  its  cure,  ...  74 

Scaup  duck,  or  Spoonbill,  The,    -  -  237 

Scear  of  the  lock  of  a  gun,      -  -  164 

Scotch  snuff  and  gin,  a  cure  for  Fleas,      ...       260 
Scoter,  Black  difck,  or  Black  diver,  The,        -  -  237 

Sea  Lark,  The,     -  -       231 

Sea  Pheasant,  The,     -  ....  235 

Season,  Treatment  of  a  hunter  after  the,   -  -  -        46 

Sell  game,  Liberty  to,  311 

Selling  game,  Regulations  as  to,   -  -  -311,312,313 

September,  the  1st;  Directions  for,     -  -  -  188 

September,  Flies  proper  in,  for  fishing      -  296 

SETTER,  The,  utility  of,— treatment,  &c.,   -  -  252 

Severity  of  punishment  of  dogs,  mischievous,        -  241,250 

Sheldrake,  or  Burrough  Duck,  The,    -  -  237 

Shoeing  of  horses,  ....   55,60,63,66 

SHOOTING,  -    146,  185 

Shooting  in  company,  Regulations  for,      ...       198 
Shooting  high  and  shooting  forward,  -  190 

Shooting  without  Certificate,  Penalties  for,  312,  315 

Shot,  proper  sizes  of,  for  various  shooting,      -  -  169 


338  INDEX. 

Page 

Shot  Mould,  -       173 
Shot,  Patent  drop,      - 
Shot,  Pellets  in  the  various  Nos.  of  Patent, 
Shot-belt  and  Shot-pouch, 
Shyness,  Occasional,  of  Birds, 

Side  Primer,  Lancaster's  and  Long's,  159 

Sight  of  a  gun,     -  -       154 

Single  gun,  best  at  the  end  of  the  season,  171 

Sit-fast,  in  hunters,  and  the  cure,  -  *  - 

Size  of  the  hound;  the  proper,  106 

Skin;  To  make  a  dog  fine  in  his,               -  -       263 

Skitty,  or  Water  Crake,  the,  -  238 

Slow  and  quick  Shooting,  discussed,  -       191 

Slow  Dogs,  when  inconvenient,  240 

Small-sized  Shot,  advantages  of,  -  -       170 

Smith,  Mr.  the  gurtmaker;  his  guns,   -  148 

Snap-shooting,  only  sometimes  proper,     -  -       194 

Snipe,  The,     -                                       -  237 
Snipes  and  Woodcocks,  may  be  taken  with  nets  and  springes.   316 

SNIPE-SHOOTING,     -  -      216 

Soland  Goose,  The,  -             -  231 
Sore  backs  of  hunters,  and  their  cure, 

Sore  Feet  in  do^s,  treatment  of,  -                           260 
Soundness,  in  the  Hunter,  never  regained,  when  once  lost,  -         58 

Southern  breed  of  Hounds,  The,  103 

SPANIELS,  essential  qualities  of,  -       253 

Spanish  Pointer,  The,             -             -  240 

Spavin,  arid  its  treatment,              -  88 

Spinning  a  Minnow,  for  killing  trout,  -                           298 

Splents,  and  the  treatment  of,        -  87 

Splinters  in  the  legs  of  hunters,             -  77 

Spoonbill,  or  Scaup  Duck,  The,  -  237 

SPORTING  TERMS  in  general  use,  288 

Sporting  Dogs,  Annual  Duties  on,  -       317 

Sporting  Dogs,  Breeding  and  Breaking  of,  100,  107,  240,  275 

Sporting;  The  time  for,  208 

Sportsmen,  Appointments  of,                      -  -                       97 

Spotted  Gallinule  or  Water  Crake,  The,  238 
Sprinffes,  Woodcocks  and  Snipes  may  be  taken  with,       -       316 

Springs,  The,  of  a  gun-lock,    -             -  -                           150 

Stables,  Public,     -  19 

STABLES,  Private;  their  requisites,  -                             36 

Stag,  The;  See  Deer-Stalking,      -             -  -    142,  226,  238 


INDEX. 


339 


Page 

Staggering  of  dogs;  treatment  of,                            -  -       261 

Staghoimd,  The,  described,    -  142 

STAG-HUNTING,       -  -       141 

STALLION,  Proper  condition  of  the  21 

Stanchion,  or  punt  gun,  -       159 
Stealing  Dogs;  Penalty  for,    -                           - 

Stock  of  a  gun  its  proper  qualities,  -       149 

Stopping,  the  means  of  preventing  foot  disease,  69 
Stopping  hounds,  how  to  do  it  properly, 

Strain,  Medicine  for  a,  in  dogs,  258 
Strangles,  and  their  treatment,      - 

Stubs  in  the  legs  of  hunters,                 -  78 

SUBSCRIPTION  PACK,  Master  of  a;  his  duties,  117,  119 

Summering  horses  in  the  house  and  in  the  field,  47,  54 

Swan,  The  Wild,  -       238 

Sweating  the  Hunter;  Proper  mode  of,  30 

Swelled  the  seats  of  dogs,  Cure  for,  -       258 

Swelling  after  bleeding,  in  dogs,          -             -  258 

Sykes,  Mr.,  his  patent  powder  flasks,       -  -       183 

Talbot,  The,              .....  102 

Teal,       -  -  -  -  -  -    „       -       238 

Teeth,  the  marks  of  age  in  horses,      -  94 

Temper,  The  preservation  of,  necessary,  195,  251 

Tenant  allowing  people  to  shoot,  Penalty  for  the,  -       310 

TERMS  USED  IN  SPORTING,    -  288 

Thorns  in  the  legs  of  hunters,      -  77 

Thorough-pin,  and  its  treatment,  89 

Three  years  old;  Treatment  of  the  Hunter,  when,  24 

Thrush,  preventive  and  cure,  70 

Timid  riding,  deprecated,  -       138 

Time  for  prosecuting  for  penalties,      -  314 

Time,  The,  for  Sporting,  208,  223 

Time  within  which  actions  against  Magistrates,  &c.  -       315 
Time  within  which  actions  for  Trespass  must  be  brought,        319 

Time  when  killing  game  is  prohibited,     -  -       308 

Tippet  Grebe,  The,  233 

Torn  ears  of  dogs,  Medicine  for,  -       258 
Trespass,  Exemption  from  penalty,  to  Hunters,  Lords  of 

Manors,  &c.    -  313 

Trespass  of  Dogs,, by  an  unqualified  person,    -  318 

Trespass,  Option  of  the  prosecutor  for,     -  -       314 
Trespass,  Old  action  for,  still  in  use,   -             -             -    314,  318 


340 


INDEX. 


Page 

Trespasser,  How  to  warn  off  a,   -  -       318 

Trespasser,  Penalties  exgible  from,  313,  314,  318 

Trespassers,  Game  may  be  taken  from,  314 

Trespassers,  when  more  than  five;  Penalty,  -       312 

Trigger,  and  trigger  steel-yard,  151 
Trolling  for  pike,                           ....       390 

TROUT-FISHING,  293 

Unglazed  shot  recommended,  -       172 

Unlicensed  Person  selling  game,  Penalty  for,  -             313 

Unqualified  Person  shooting,       -  309,  318 

Urine  of  hunters,  Disorders  of  the,     -  90 

Value  of  a  good  dog,        -  242 

Velvet  duck,  or  Double  Scoter,  The,  238 

Velvet  runner,  or  Bilcock,  The,  -       238 

Vent-hole  of  a  detonator,        -  153 

Vermin,  how  to  be  destroyed,      -  -       273 

Wadding,  the  most  proper,  -       174 

Wales,  exclusive  privilege,  as  to  gamekeepers,  in,  -              311 

Walton,  Izaac,  on  spinning  a  minnow,     -  -       298 

Warn  off  a  trespasser,  How  to,  318 

Warrens,  Conies  in,  &c.  may  be  destroyed,  316 

Washing  of  hounds,  recommended,     -  113 

Washes,  recommended  for  Sore  Backs  of  Hunters,  78 

Waste-land,  Sporting  on;  the  Lord  of  the  Manor,  only,  318 

Water  crake,  or  Water  rail,  The,  -       238 

Water  hen,  or  Moor  hen,  The,  238 

Water  rail,  Bilcock,  or  Velvet  runner,  The,  238 

Waterproof  Boots,  for  snipe-shooting,  recommended,  -  218 

Weaning  the  Colt,  (Hunter,)  Time  for,    -  22 

Weazels,  Polecats,  &c.  How  to  destroy,  273 

Weight,  Proper,  of  a  gun,  -       150 

Whelps  are  liable  to  the  Distemper,  &c.  105 

Which  barrel  should  first  be  discharged  ?  -       199 

WHIPPER-IN,  The,  his  qualifications  and  duties,  -              131 

Whipping  with  an  artificial  fly,  for  trout,  296 

White  Grouse,  or  Ptarmigan,  233 

White  fronted,  or  Laughing  Goose,  233 

Widgeons,     -                           -                            -  239 

WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING,     -  -       221 

Wild  fowl  shooting,  Colonel  Hawker  on,        -  -             160 


INDEX.  341 

Page 

Wild-fowl  on  the  Coast,  or  from  a  public  path,  may  be  shot,    319 

Wild-fowl,  The,  in  Decoys,  private  property,  -       319 

Wild-fowl  usually  followed  by  Sportsmen  ;  List  of,  -              228 

Wild-goose,  different  kinds  of,       -  -       295 

Wild-swan,  The,                                      -             -  238 

Wilkinson's  counter  parabolic  breeching,   -             -  150 

Wind  of  Horses,  Disease  in  the ;  and  treatment,  79 

Windgalls,  and  their  treatment,     -  89 

Winter  duck,  The,       -                                       -  235 

Winterton,  Lord ;  his  Beagles,      -                           -  -       145 

Witnesses  refusing  to  attend,  in  Trespass  actions,  314 

WOODCOCK  SHOOTING,                                      -  -       215 
Woodcocks,  and  Snipes,  may  be  taken  with  nets  and  springs,  310 

Woodpigeon,  or  Ringdove,  The,  23G 

Work,  Bringing  the  hunter  into,    -  29 

Worms,  a  disease  of  dogs,       -             -             -  -             217 

Worms,  in  dogs ;  How  to  destroy,             -  -       265 

Wound,  an  Old,  or  sore,  in  Dogs;  Remedy,      -  2G1 

Wounds  in  Dogs,  Treatment  of,   -  -       260 

Young  hounds,  proper  treatment  of,    -  105 


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DIRECTIONS  FOR  MAKING  ALL  SORTS  OF  PRESERVES, 
SUGAR-BOILING,   COMFITS,   LOZENGES, 

ORNAMENTAL  CAKES, 

ICES,   LIQUEURS,   WATERS,   GUM-PASTE   ORNAMENTS, 
SYRUPS,  JELLIES,  MARMALADES,  COMPOTES, 

BREAD-BAKING, 

ARTIFICIAL  YEASTS,  FANCY  BISCUITS, 

CAKES,  ROLLS,  MUFFINS,  TARTS,  PIES,  &c.  &c. 


WITH    ADDITIONS    AND    ALTERATIONS, 

BY  PARKINSON, 

Practical  Confectioner,  Chestnut  Street. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

LEA    AND    BLANCHARD, 

AND  SOLD  BY  ALL  BOOKSELLERS  AJD  NEWS  AGENTS. 

1844. 


WHITE'S  UNIVERSAL  HISTORY. 


book,  to  look  with  more  care  into  it  than  we  have 
usually  time  to  bestow  on  works  of  this  class.  It 
is  a  British  production,  but  the  author  is  quite  as 
free  from  prejudice  as  one  could  possibly  expect. 
The  plan  is  very  judicious.  It  compresses  into 
one  volume  a  survey  of  universal  history, — a 
complete  blank  form  which  the  student  can  com- 
prehend at  a  glance,  and  fill  up  at  his  leisure. 
For  schools  it  is  particularly  well  adapted,  as  the 
questions  upon  the  text,  appended  by  Mr.  Hart, 
facilitate  the  use  of  it  for  the  teacher  and  increase 
its  value  for  the  learner."— North  American. 

"A  work  which  gives,  in  a  succinct  narration, 
the  principal  events  in  the  history  of  the  world,  if 
faithfully  executed,  cannot  fail  to  bo  of  vast  im- 
portance to  private  students  as  well  as  for  the  use 
of  schools.  The  volume  here  given  to  the  pub- 
lic, has  evidently  been  prepared  with  much  care. 
It  is  arranged  with  great  convenience,  and  the 
narratives  of  events  are  given  in  a  style  that 
will  doubtless  prove  interesting  to  every  reader. 
We  think  it  one  of  the  best  manuals  of  Universal 
History  that  has  ever  been  published." — Satur- 
day Courier. 

"  On  the  whole,  this  must  be  regarded  as  one 
of  the  most  compendious  and  well  arranged 
works  that  have  appeared  ;  and  if  used  for  no 
other  purpose  than  as  a  chronological  guide,  will 
prove  most  valuable." — Saturday  Post. 

"  The  great  merit  is  in  the  arrangement  of  the 
matter,  which  is  admirable,  and  will  be  found  to 
assist,  in  an  eminent  degree,  the  teacher  and  the 
reader. 

"  Mr.  Hart  has  well  executed  his  share  of  the 
work,  and  given  thereto  an  important  ingredient 
in  its  usefulness."—  U.  S.  Gazette. 

"  It  is  on  a  new  ard  excellent  systematic  plan, 


containing  a  brief  narrative  of  the  principal 
events  in  the  history  of  the  world,  from  the  ear- 
liest ages  to  the  present  time.  An  important 
feature  in  the  work,  is  its  arrangement  into  pe- 
riods of  centuries.  This  is  decidedly  of  very 
great  advantage  to  the  student,  and  cannot  fail  to 
commend  the  work." — Boston  Mas. 

"  The  work  is  a  brief  narrative  of  the  principal 
and  most  interesting  events  iu  the  history  of  the 
world,  but  these  events  are  placed  in  such  a 
shape  as  to  enable  the  mind  of  the  student  or 
reader  to  grasp  them  with  more  certainty  and 
less  difficulty  of  retention  than  by  the  old-fashion 
ed  method.— This  must  surely  operate  as  a  pow 
erful  recommendation  in  favour  of  its  usefulness.* 
to  the  casual  reader,  as  well  as  to  the  student— 
we  allude  particularly  to  its  chronological  ar- 
rangement, and  general  memoranda  of  events, 
comprised  within  the  limit*  of  tho  last  century — 
the  genealogical  tables  with  which  it  abounds, 
and  the  conciseness,  yet  clearness  of  its  notes. 
The  author  is  indebted  to  the  most  scientific  of 
modern  travellers,  (in  whom  only  lie  enoms  to 
place  confidence)  for  tho  valuable  information  he 
gives  in  his  notes,  which,  in  addition  to  the  facts 
they  narrate  and  explain,  display  an  admirable 
perspicuity  of  language  that  must  gratify  the 
reader,  and  tend  to  increase  his  interest  as  he 
progresses."— JV.  Orleans  JJge. 

"Under  whatever  circumstances  persons  are 
led  to  seek  an  acquaintance  with  general  history, 
the  work  by  Mr.  White  will  serve  to  gratify  their 
longings  in  this  particular,  and  to  aid  them  in 
treasuring  up  a  vast  amount  of  well  arranged 
and  clearly  told  historical  incidents,  of  the  dif- 
ferent people  who  have  flourished,  in  successive 
ages,  from  the  earliest  date  down  to  the  present 
time. — Colonization  Herald. 


As  this  work  is  intended  for  the  private  reader,  as  well  as  for  the  student,  the 
publishers  have  had  an  edition  prepared  in  which  the  questions  are  omitted,  and 
which  may  be  had  neatly  done  up  in  extra  cloth. 


—  LEA   &  BLANCHARD   PUBLISH  — 

ARNOTT'S  ELEMENTS  OF  PHYSICS,  OR  NATURAL  PHILOSO- 
PHY, GENERAL  AND  MEDICAL.  Written  for  universal  use,  in  plain, 
or  non-technical  language.  A  work  used  extensively  in  various  seminaries. 

HERSCHEL'S  ASTRONOMY,  a  new  edition,  by  S.  C.  Walker,  in  1  vol., 
I2mo. 

BREWSTER'S  OPTICS,  a  new  edition,  with  an  appendix,  by  Professor 
Bache,  in  vol.,  12mo. 

BUTLER'S  ATLAS  OF  ANCIENT  GEOGRAPHY,  consisting  of  21 
coloured  maps,  with  a  complete  accentuated  index.  A  new  edition. 

BUTLER'S  GEOGRAPHIA  CLASSICA,  or  the  Application  of  Ancient 
Geography  to  the  Classics.  A  new  edition,  with  Questions. 


PUBLISHED   BY  LEA   &  BLANCHARD; 


WORKS    FOR 
SCHOQX.S,   CGI.&SGES,   6cC. 


A  NEW  EDITION  OF 

ARNOTT'S  ELEMENTS  OF  PHYSICS,  OR  NATURAL  PHI- 
LOSOPHY,GENER\L  AND  MEDICAL.  Written  for  universal 
use,  in  plain,  or  non-technical  language.  Complete  in  1  vol.  Revised 
and  corrected  from  the  last  English  edition,  with  additions,  by  Isaac 
Hays,  M.  D.  A  work  used  extensively  in  various  seminaries. 

HERSCHEL'S  ASTRONOMY,  a  new  edition,  with  a  preface,  and  a 
Series  of  Questions  for  the  examination  of  Students,  with  Engravings, 
by  S.  C.  Walker,  in.,1  vol.,  12mo. 

BREWSTER'S  OPTICS,  a  new  edition,  with  an  appendix,  and  numerous 
cuts,  by  Professor  Bache,  in  1  vol.,  12mo. 

BUTLER'S  ATLAS  OF  ANCIENT  GEOGRAPHY,  consisting  oi 
21  coloured  maps,  with  a  complete  accentuated  index. 

BUTLER'S  GEOGRAPHIA  CLASSICA,  or  the  Application  of 
Ancient  Geography  to  the  Classics ;  4th  American  edition,  with  Ques- 
tions, 1  vol. 


Bolmar's  French  Series. 

New  editions  of  the  following  works,  by  A.  Bolmar,  forming  in  connec- 
tion with  "  Bolirar's  Levi/.ac,"  a  complete  series  for  the  acquisition  of  the 
French  language. 

A  SELECTION   OF  ONE    HUNDRED   PERRIN'S   FABLES, 

accompanied  by  a  Key,  containing  the  text,  a  literal  and  free  transla- 
tion, arranged  in  such  a  manner  as  to  point  out  the  difference  between 
the  French  ar-d  English  idiom,  &c.,  in  1  vol.,  12mo. 

A  COLLECTION  OF  COLLOQUIAL  PHRASES,  on  every  topic 
necessary  to  maintain  conversation,  arranged  under  different  heads  with 
numerous  remarks  on  the  peculiar  pronunciation  and  uses  of  various 
words  ;  the  whole  so  disposed  as  considerably  to  facilitate  the  acquisi- 
tion of  a  correct  pronunciation  of  the  French,  1  vol.,  18mo. 

LES  AVENTURES  DE  TELEMAQUE  PAR  FE>fELON,  in  1 

vol.,  12mo.,  accompanied  by  a  Key  to  the  first  eight  books,  in  1  vol., 
12mo.,  containing  like  the  Fables,  the  text,  a  literal  and  free  translation, 
intended  as  a  sequel  to  the  Fables.  Either  volume  sold  separately. 

ALL  THE  FRENCH  VERBS,  both  regular  and  irregular,  in  a  small 
volume. 


SOLD   BY    ALL   BOOKSELLERS. 


WORKS 

IN   THE   VARIOUS    DEPARTMENTS 

OP 

MEDICINE  AND   SUKGEKYI 

PUBLISHED 

BY 

LEA  &  BLANCHARD. 


ANATOMY. 


ANATOMICAL  ATLAS,  illustrative  I  tology ;  6th  edition,  much  improved.  2vols 
of  the  Structure  of  the  Human  Body  ;  with  j  8vo.,  1114  pages. 

over  Six  Hundred  Illustrations;  the  most  5      WILSON'S  Human  Anatomy;  a  new 

edition  (the  second)  revised,  with  additions 
by  Dr.  Goddard :  207  beautiful  cuts.  8vo., 
60S  pages. 

WILSON'S  Dissector,  or  Practical  and 
Surgical  Anatomy  ;  with  additions  by  God- 
darof — 106  cuts.  Royal  12mo.f  444  pages. 


complete  work  of  the  kind  ever  issued, — 
beautifully  executed,  in  One  Volume  Im- 
perial Octavo;  by  H.  H.  Smith,  M.D.,  un- 
der the  supervision  of  Professor  W.  E.  Hor- 
ner. 


HORNER'S  Special  Anatomy  and  His- 


PHYSIOLOGY. 


CARPENTER'S  Human  Physiology ; 
with  notes  and  additions  by  Meredith  Cly- 
mer,  and  over  100  cuts — in  8vo.,  618  pages. 

DUNGLISON'S  Human  Physiology; 
the  fifth  edition,  with  numerous  additions 
and  300  cuts — in  2  vols.  8vo.,  1304  pages. 


HARRISON  on  the  Nervous  System; 
Svo.,^292  pages. 

MULLER'S  Elements  of  Physiology 
by  Baly,  arranged  by  Bell— 8vo.,  b86  pages. 

ROGET'S  Outlines  of  Physiology  — 
8vo.f  516  pages. 


PATHOLOG-Y 


ABERCROMBIE  on  the  Brain, 
edition — 8vo.,  324  pages. 

ALISON'S  Outlines  of  Pathology.  8vo., 
424  pages. 

ANDRAL  on  the  Blood  in  Disease.  130 
pages,  8vo. 

BELL  on  the  Teeth,  with  plates— 8vo., 
350  pages. 

BERZELIUS  on  the  Kidneys  and  Urine. 
8vo.,  178  pages. 

BARTLETT  on  the  Fevers  of  the 
United  States— 8vo.,  394  pages. 

BILLINGS'  Principles  of  Medicine— 
8vo.,  304  pages. 

BRODIE  on  the  Urinary  Organs.  8vo., 
214  pages. 

BRODIE  on  the  Diseases  of  the  Joints. 
8vo.,  216  pages. 

CHAPMAN  on  Thoracic  and  Abdomi- 
nal Viscera.  8vo.,  384  pages. 

CHAPMAN  on  Eruptive  Fevers,  &c. 
8vo.,  pages — nearly  ready. 

HOPE'S  Treatise  on  the  Diseases  of  the 


Heart  and  Great  Vessels,  with  additions  by 
Pennock.     8vo.,  572  pages. 

JONES  and  TO DD  on  the  Diseases  of 
the  Lar,  edited  by  Dr.  Hays  ;  with  numer- 
ous cuts.  8vo.,  pages — preparing. 

LAWRENCE'S  Treatise  on  the  Dis- 
eases  of  the  Eye,  with  additions  by  Hays, 
and  numerous  cuts.  8vo.,  778  pages. 

P ROUT'S  Treatise  on  Stomach  and  Re- 
nal Diseases,  with  coloured  plates.  8vo., 
466  pages. 

PHILIP'S  Treatise  on  Protracted  Indi 
gestion.  8vo.,  240  pages. 

RICORD'S  Treatise  on  Venereal  Dis- 
eases. 8vo.,  25G  pages. 

WALSHE'S  Diagnosis  of  the  Diseases 
of  the  Lungs.  12mo.,  310  pages. 

WILSON  on  the  Diseases  of  the  Skin. 
8vo.,  370  pages. 

WILLIAMS',  Principles  and  Pathology 
with  additions  by  Clymer.  8vo.,  384  pages 

WILLIAMS  on  the  Respiratory  Organs, 
edited  by  Clymer.  8vo.,  pages — nearly 
ready. 


PRACTICE    OF 

ASH  WELL  on  the  Diseases  of  Females, 
by  Goddard.  1  vol.  8vo.,  pages— near- 
ly ready. 

CONDIE'S  Practical  Treatise  on 


the 


v>-       '-^-^J-JK^     j.i  0.^1100.1      j.  i  c/cillSt?     UI1     inC 

Diseases  of  Children.  1  vol.  Svo.,  650  pages. 


MEDICINE. 

CHURCHILL  on  the  Diseases  of  Fe- 


males,  including  those  of  Pregnancy  and 
Childbed  ;  with  additions  by  Huston.  8vo.. 
596  pages. 

C  GATES' Popular  Medicine.  8vo.5J  4pp. 


f)EWEES  on  tVc  Diseases  of  Children. 
8th  edition  ;  8vo.,  £>4S  pages. 

DE\VEES  on  the  Diseases  of  Females. 
8vo.,  witi'  pl.ntes,  532  pages. 

DUNt'Ll  SON'S  Practice  of  Medicine. 
Second  edition,  in  2  volumes  8vo.,  1322 
pages. 


TWEEDIE'S  Library  of  Practical  Me 
dicine.  Second  edition,  revised  ;  in  3  vols. 
large  Svo.,  2016  pages. 

&5"Any  one  of  the  five  volumes  of  the 
first  edition  can  be  had  separate. 

WATSON  on  the  Principles  and  Prac- 
tice of  Physic.  8vo.,  920  large  pages. 


SURGERY. 


COOPER'S  (Sir  Astley)  Treatise  on 
Hernia,  with  lithographic  plates.  Imperial 
8vo.,  428  pages. 

COOPER  (Sir  Astley)  on  the  Testis  and 
Thymus  Gland,  with  lithographic  plates. 
Imperial  8vo.,  pages — nearly  ready. 

COOPER  (Sir  Astley)  on  Dislocations 
and  Fractures,  with  numerous  cuts,  and  a 
Memoir  and  Portrait.  8vo.,  500  pages. 

DRUITT'S  Modern  Surgery.  Second 
edition,  with  153  cuts ;  8vo.,  568  pages. 


FERGUSSON'S  System  of  Practical 
Surgery,  edited  by  Norris,  with  246  cuta. 
8vo.,  630  pages. 

HARRIS  on  the  Maxillary  Sinus.  8vo., 
164  pages. 

LAWRENCE'S  Treatise  on  Ruptures. 
8vo.,  480  pages. 

MAURY'S  Dental  Surgery,  with  mi 
merous  plates  and  cuts.  8vo.,  286  pages. 

ROBERTSON  -on  the  Teeth.  8vo., 
230  pages. 


THERAPEUTICS   AND    MATERIA    MEDICA. 


DUNGLISON'S  Therapeutics  and  Ma- 
teria  Medica^a  new  work.  2  vols.  8vo., 
1004  pages. 

DUNGLISON'S  Treatise  on  New  Re- 
medies. Fifth  edition,  8vo.,  616  pages. 


ELLIS'  Medical  Formulary,  by  Morton 
Seventh  edition,  8vo.,  262  pages. 

PEREIRA'S  Elements  of  Materia  Mo 
dica  and  Therapeutics  ;  edited  by  Carson, 
with  280  cuts.  2  vols.  8vo.,  1566  pages. 


OBSTETRICS 


CHURCHILL  on  the  Theory  and  Prac- 
rice  of  Midwifery,  by  Huston ;  116  cuta. 
8vo.,  520  pages. 

DE WEES'  System  of  Midwifery  ^  with 
plates.  Tenth  edition,  Svo.,  660  pages. 


RIGBY'S  System  of  Midwifery,  with 
cuts.  8vo.,  492  pages. 

RAMSBOTHAM  on  Parturition,  with 
figures  in  lithography.  Imperial  8vo.,  458 
pages. 


CHEMISTRY,  MEDlCAL  PHYSICS  AND  HYGIENE. 


ARNOTT'S  Elements  of  Physics,  with 
numerous  cuts.  One  volume  8vo.,  520 
pages. 

DUNGLISON  on  Human  Health;  a 


second  edition  revised,  with  additions.  8vo., 
464  pages. 

GRAHAM'S  Elements  of  Chemistry  *)y 
Bridges,  with  numerous  cuts.    8vo.,  750pp. 


MEDICAL  JURISPRUDENCE  AND  MEDICAL  EDUCATION. 

CHITTY'S   Medical  Jurisprudence.—  *      TRAILL'S  Medical   Jurisprudence.— 
Bvo.,  510  pages.  \  Svo.,  234  pages. 

DUNGLISON'S  Medical  Student ;  a  new  edition,  large  12mo. 

DICTIONARIES   AND    JOURNALS. 


AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  THE 
MEDICAL  SCIENCES;  edited  by  Dr. 
Isaac  Hays,  published  Quarterly  at  Five 
Dollars  a  Year. 

CYCLOPAEDIA  OF  PRACTICAL 
MEDICINE  ;  comprising  Treatises  on  the 
nature  and  treatment  of  Diseases,  includ- 
ing those  of  Women  and  Children,  Materia 
Xledica,  Therapeutics,  Medical  Jurispru- 
dence, &c.,  &c.  Edited  by  Forbes,  Twee- 
die,  Conolly  and  Dunglison.  4  large  Su- 


per-Royal Octavo  Volumes.  About  3000 
pages  in  double  columns. 

DUNGLISON'S  Medical  Dictionary; 
4th  edition,  containing  over  40,000  words 
and  synonymes  ;  large  8vo.,  of  772  pages, 
double  columns. 

MEDICAL  NEWS  AND  LIBRARY. 
Published  Monthly  at  .One  Dollar  a  Year. 

SELECT  MEDICAL  ESSAYS;  by 
Drs.  Dunglison,  Chapman  and  others. — 2 
vols.  8vo.,  1150  pages. 


PUBLISHED    BY   LEA   AND   BLANCHARD, 


Now  ready,  in  One  Volume  8w>.  with  Illustrations. 

THE    HORSE, 

BY  WILLIAM  YOU  ATT. 

A  NEW  EDITION,  WITH  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS; 
CONTAINING   A    FULL  ACCOUNT   OF   THE 

DISEASES    OF    THE    HORSE, 

WITH  THEIR  MODE  OF  TREATMENT ; 
HIS    ANATOMY, 

AND  THE  USUAL  OPERATIONS  PERFORMED  ON  HIM; 
HIS  BREEDING,  BREAKING,  AND  MANAGEMENT; 

AND  HINTS  ON  HIS  SOUNDNESS,  AND  THE 
PURCHASE  AND  SALE. 


TOGETHER   WITH    A 

GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  HORSE; 

A     DISSERTATION    ON 

THK  AMERICAN  TROTTING  HORSE, 

HOW  TRAINED  AND  JOCKEYED, 
AN  ACCOUNT  OF  HIS  REMARKABLE  PERFORMANCES; 

AND 

AN  ESSAY  ON  THE  ASS  AND  THE  MULE, 

BY   J.    S.   SKINNER, 

Assistant  Post  Master  General,  and  Editor  of  the  Turf  Register. 

PHILADELPHIA: 
LEA   AND    BLANCHARD. 

1844. 


REPUBLISHED  FROM  THE    NEW  EDITION  JUST  ISSUED    IN    LONDON, 
BY  THE  SOCIETY  FOR  DIFFUSING  USEFUL  KNOWLEDGE. 


PHILADELPHIA. 


EVERY  MAN 
HIS  OWN  CATTLE  DOCTOR: 

C  ONTAINING 

THE  CAUSES,  SYMPTOMS,  AND  TREATMENT  OF  ALL  THE 
DISEASES  INCIDENT  TO 

OXEN,  SHEEP,  AND  SWINE; 

AND  A  SKETCH  OF  THE 

ANATOMY    AND   PHYSIOLOGY 

OP 

NEAT   CATTLE. 
BY    FRANCIS   CLATER. 

EDITED,    REVISED,    AND    ALMOST    REWRITTEN, 

BY  WILLIAM  YOUATT, 

AUTHOR   OF     "THE   HORSE,"    &C. 

WITH   NUMEROUS   ADDITIONS, 

EMBRACING 

AN  ESSAY  ON  THE  USE  OF  OXEN, 

AND    THE 

IMPROVEMENT  IN  THE  BREED  OF  SHEEP,  &c. 
BY   J.    S.    SKINNER, 

ASSISTANT    POSTMASTER     GENERAL. 

WITH  NUMEROUS  CUTS   AND  ILLUSTRATIONS, 

PHILADELPHIA: 
LEA   AND    BLANCHARD. 

184-1. 


WHITE'S  UNIVERSAL  HISTORY. 


The  work  is  divided  into  three  parts,  corresponding  with  Ancient,  Middle,  and 
Modern  History;  which  parts  are  again  subdivided  into  centuries,  so  that  the  various 
events  are  presented  in  the  order  of  time,  while  it  is  so  arranged  that  the  annals 
of  each  country  can  be  read  consecutively,  thus  combining  the  advantages  of  both 
the  plans  hitherto  pursued  in  works  of  this  kind.  To  guide  the  researches  of  the 
student,  there  will  be  found  numerous  synoptical  tables,  with  remarks  and  sketches 
of  literature,  antiquities,  and  manners,  at  the  great  chronological  epochs. 

As  to  the  method  to  be  adopted  in  using  this  manual,  "  the  compiler  deems  it 
unnecessary  to  offer  any  lengthened  directions  ;  the  experienced  teacher  will  readily 
adopt  that  best  suited  to  those  under  his  charge.  The  work  may  be  used  simply 
as  a  reading-book  ;  but  a  certain  portion  should  be  given  out  for  the  attentive  study 
of  the  pupil,  after  which  he  should  be  closely  questioned,  not  only  as  to  the  more 
general  facts,  but  also  the  most  trivial  circumstances  recorded."  To  facilitate  this 
exercise  on  the  part  of  the  teacher,  the  American  Editor,  Mr.  J.  S.  Hart,  has 
added  a  series  of  Questions,  which  will  be  found  very  useful  to  those  who  prefer 
this  mode  of  instruction. 

In  preparing  this  edition,  the  American  Editor  has  paid  particular  attention  to 
those  portions  of  the  work  which  treat  of  American  History,  making  them  more 
full,  and  correcting  those  mistakes  which  are  inevitable  in  one  residing  at  such  a 
distance  from  the  source  of  information.  His  extended  and  well-earned  reputation 
as  a  teacher,  is  a  sufficient  guarantee  that  whatever  has  passed  under  his  revision 
will  be  free  from  all  errors  of  importance. 

In  conclusion,  the  publishers  have  to  observe,  that  during  the  short  time  in  which 
this  work  has  been  before  the  public,  it  has  received  the  most  flattering  testimonials 
of  approbation.  Already  it  has  been  introduced  into  many  of  the  highest  class  of 
institutions  for  instruction,  and  three  editions  have  been  called  for  in  less  than  a  year. 

A  few  recommendations  and  notices  are  subjoined. 

Messrs.  Lea  <$•  Blanchard: 

GENTLEMEN — I  return  the  volume  of  "Elements  of  Universal  History"  you 
left  with  me  a  few  days  since.  On  a  cursory  examination,  it  appears  to  me  to  be 
much  the  best  of  the  elementary  works  on  the  subject  which  I  have  met  with. 
The  author  has  executed  his  method  with  a  great  deal  of  skill,  and  by  this  means 
has  avoided  much  of  the  confusion  which  is  apt  to  occur  in  manuals  of  Universal 
History.  The  book  is  a  very  comprehensive  one,  and  must  have  cost  Mr.  White 
great  labor  in  collating,  and  still  more  in  arranging  his  materials.  He  shows,  more- 
over, a  direct  acquaintance  with  many  of  the  best  historical  authorities,  among 
them,  those  of  late  y^ears.  I  have  turned  to  several  periods  of  history  which  I 
thought  would  be  most  likely  to  show  its  character,  and  find  them  treated  with 
considerable  fairness  and  accuracy  ;  indeed,  it  is  unusually  free  from  the  prejudices 
that  often  disfigure  books  of  this  sort — I  mean  on  questions  of  history. 

The  book  is  one  that  might,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  be  introduced  with  advan- 
tage as  an  historical  text-book  for  the  younger  classes  in  our  colleges.  It  will  be 
found,  too,  I  believe,  a  convenient  manual  for  private  students,  which  is  one  of  the 
uses  contemplated  by  the  author.  Let  me  add  that,  judging  from  the  passages  I 
have  looked  at,  the  book  is  written  in  good,  unaffected  English. 
Truly  and  respectfully, 

HENRY  REED, 
Professor  of  Belles  Lettres  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


A   NEW   WORK  FOR   SCHOOLS. 


CLINTON  ST.,  PHILA.  SEPT.  15,  1844. 
Messrs.  Lea  $  Blanchard  : 

GENTLEMEN, — I  thank  you  for  the  copy  of  "White's  Elements  of  Universal  His- 
tory," which  you  were  so  kind  as  to  send  me.  After  a  somewhat  careful  examination 
of  it,  I  was  so  much  pleased  with  its  arrangement,  with  the  judgment  evinced  in 
it  in  the  selection  of  facts,  and  in  the  high  moral  tone  which  pervades  it  through- 
out, that  I  determined  to  introduce  it  into  my  s'cnbol.  My  first  class  have  been 
studying  it  since  the  commencement  of  the  term,  and  I  am  increasingly  pleased 
with  it.  Respectfully  yours,  C.  D.  CLEAVELAND,  A.M. 

Author  of  "Grecian  Antiquities,"  (J-c. 


Messrs.  Lea  $•  Blanchard: 

I  am  indebted  to  your  politeness  for  an  opportunity  of  examining  White's  Ele- 
ments of  Universal  History,  lately  published  by  you.  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  add 
my  suffrage  to  the  respectable  testimonials  of  teachers  and  others,  with  which  the 
work  has  been  favoured. 

In  my  opinion,  it  affords  to  teachers  and  students  a  facility  for  imparting  and  ac- 
quiring a  knowledge  of  history,  superior  to  any  single  volume  I  have  ever  met 
with,  while  it  proves  an  invaluable  addition,  as  a  book  of  reference,  to  every  pri- 
vate gentleman's  library.  JOSEPH  P.  ENGLES, 

Classical  Institute. 

Philadelphia,  August  2CM,  1844. 

Messrs.  Lea  $•  Blanchard: 

GENTLEMEN — I  offer  you  my  sincere  thanks  for  the  copy  of  "  White's  Universal 
History,"  which  you  were  so  kind  as  to  send  me  a  few  days  ago.  The  work 
pleases  me  so  much,  that  I  have  determined  to  use  it  in  my  academy. 

I  am,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

CHA'S  PICOT. 


NOTICES  OF  THE  PRESS. 


The  Westminster  Review,  in  noticing  the  work, 
remarks — "  Without  branching  out  into  unneces- 
sary or  minute  details,  it  contains  a  succinct  nar- 
rative of  the  principal  events  in  our  world's  his- 
tory, from  the  earliest  ages  to  the  present  time, 
drawn  up  in  a  simple  and  luminous  style. 

The  author  makes  no  pretensions  to  originality; 
"  If  he  shall  be  pronounced  fortunate  in  the 
choice  and  condensation  of  his  materials,  he 
will,"  he  says,  "have  attained  the  object  of  his 
wishes."  This  modest  claim  we,  for  our  part, 
unhesitatingly  accord  to  his  labours.  The  present 
summary  will  not  only  prove  a  valuable  class- 
book,  but  may  be  advantageously  consulted  by 
those  who  have  not  in  youth  been  systematically 
trained  in  historical  knowledge." 

"  The  Elements  of  Universal  History"  is  en- 
titled to  great  praise  ;  the  writer  has  taken  firm 
grasp  of  his  subject :  he  exhibits  a  just  estimate  of 


things,  and  separates,  by  typographical  changes, 
the  narrative  of  events  from  the  commentary  on 
them." — Spectator. 

"This  work  has  been  compiled  with  skill." — 
MhencBum. 

"  This  work  appears  to  us  to  supply  a  want 
which  has  long  been  felt  in  American  Schools 
and  Colleges.  The  History  of  the  World,  from 
the  Creation  down  to  the  present  time,  has  been 
arranged  by  Mr.  White  in  such  a  way  as  to  ren- 
der the  study  of  his  elegant  synopsis  easy  and 
agreeable.  From  its  character,  we  believe  that 
this  book  is  ultimately  destined  to  supersede  eve- 
ry other  in  the  same  department  that  has  hitherto 
appeared.  The  style  in  which  it  is  '  got  up' 
does  credit  to  the  enterprising  publishers." — JVew 
World.  

"  We  were  induced,  by  several  notices  of  this 


ID      IU<1H7 


